Washington: US President George W Bush has welcomed the accession of seven former Soviet bloc countries Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia to NATO (North-Atlantic Treaty Organisation).

"When NATO was founded the people of these seven nations were captives of 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," Bush said yesterday (Mar 29, 2004) at a ceremony welcoming new NATO members.

Under NATO's banner, said Bush, the nations of Europe put aside rivalries that had divided the continent for centuries. NATO's core mission remains the same, the Defence of its members against any aggression, he added.

"Today our alliance faces a new enemy, which has brought death and destruction to innocent people from New York to Madrid," said Bush, referring to terrorism.

"We will never bow to the violence of a few. We will face the mortal danger of terrorism, and we will overcome it together."

He said that all seven of the new NATO members were helping to bring lasting freedom to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Welcoming the new members to the US State Department, Secretary of State Colin Powell said that NATO was determined, above all, to prevent aggression. "Now it is determined, above all, to promote freedom".

The new members will take their seats at NATO next month. The membership then increases from 19 to 26.