"The president is very pleased that the Senate will now be able to vote on expanding NATO to Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization wrapped up its November 2002 summit in Prague by formally inviting those countries to join, most likely at the alliance's 2004 sumit.

The White House, which has said that the addition of nations once under Soviet control will re-invigorate NATO, expects smooth sailing in the Senate.

"The president is delighted that these brave countries of Eastern Europe have been granted entry into NATO. He hopes the Senate will ratify the treaty required to expand it in a formal sense," Fleischer said.

SPACE.WIRE