Former US secretary of state Albright speaks at NATO conference

Former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright, has spoken at an international conference in Prague on the future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Addressing attendees on Friday, Mrs Albright called on allies within NATO to join forces in the face of the global economic downturn; she also read an address by former US President Bill Clinton. The Prague conference, marking ten years since NATO first expanded to include former communist countries including the Czech Republic, also saw speeches by leading representatives such as NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. He said that the expansion of the alliance to ten former communist states between 1999 and 2004 had enhanced European security and put a definitive end to the Cold War. He also said NATO would remain open to new members, taking two more states – Albania and Croatia - on board before the end of the year.