Ceremony as 7 former Soviet-bloc nations joins NATO

• published: 30 Jul 2015
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1. Wide view of White House 2. Mid, push in view of U.S. President George Bush walking to podium 3. Wide view of leaders on red carpet 4. SOUNDBITE: (English) George W. Bush, U.S. President "Today we proudly welcome Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. We welcome them into the ranks of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation." 5. Pan view of audience on South Lawn applauding 6. SOUNDBITE: (English) George W. Bush, U.S. President "When NATO was founded, the people of these seven nations were captives to an empire. They endured bitter tyranny, they struggled for independence, they earned their freedom through courage and perseverance. And today they stand with us as full and equal partners in this great alliance." 7. Pan view of U.S. Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney applauding 8. SOUNDBITE: (English) George W. Bush, U.S. President "The door to NATO will remain open until the whole of Europe is united in freedom and in peace." (Applause.) 9. Wide view leaders applauding 10. SOUNDBITE: (English) George W. Bush, U.S. President "As witness to some of the great crimes of the last century, our new members bring moral clarity to the purposes of the Alliance. They understand our cause in Afghanistan and in Iraq, because tyranny for them is still a fresh memory." 11. Close-up Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff General Richard Myers, Rumsfeld and Powell 12. Mid views leaders listening to Bush speak 13. Pull back view as leaders pose with Bush for photographers 14. Wide push-in view, as they re-enter the White House STORYLINE: United States President George W. Bush welcomed seven former Soviet-dominated nations into the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) as full and equal partners on Monday and said the Western alliance was stronger because of their presence. Under a bright sun on the White House South Lawn, Bush stood with the prime ministers of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. Hundreds of people cheered during the induction of the new members. Some waved flags of the new member nations, whose addition expands the alliance to 26 countries. A military guard of honour carried the flags of the NATO countries. Fifty-five years after NATO''s birth, Bush recalled that the seven new members were captives to an empire when the alliance was formed. At the time the Soviet Union and most Eastern European nations formed the Warsaw Pact, NATO''s communist equivalent. President Bush told the audience that the door to NATO will remain open until the whole of Europe is united in freedom and in peace. He added that seven new member countries, all of whom were involved in the Second World War, were witnesses to the great crimes of the 20th century and therefore brought moral clarity to the purposes of NATO. Bush said they understood the cause in Afghanistan and in Iraq, "because tyranny for them is still a fresh memory." The new members will take part in their first meeting Friday in Brussels, Belgium. Three other countries in Europe - Albania, Croatia and Macedonia - still hope to join NATO in the near future. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/c7b83ff4417df405e539887cafd26ddf Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork