U.S. President George W. Bush delivers a speech Saturday in the Croatian capital, Zagreb, where he is expected to praise Croatia for being invited to join NATO.

Croatian President Stipe Mesic has welcomed U.S. President George W. Bush, a day after the NATO summit in Bucharest invited Croatia and Albania to begin membership talks.

The NATO summit has convened in formal session in Bucharest, Romania. Members are focusing on military operations in Afghanistan and how and when to enlarge the alliance.

Macedonia's delegation says it is leaving the NATO summit in Bucharest early to protest the alliance's failure to invite it to begin membership talks because of a dispute over the country's name.

A NATO spokesman says he does not expect the bloc to start the membership process for Georgia and Ukraine at this week's summit in Bucharest.

U.S. President George W. Bush says he strongly supports a bid by Ukraine and Georgia to start the process of NATO membership.

U.S. President George W. Bush has arrived in Romania for this week's NATO summit after pledging to strongly press the allies to initiate the membership process for Ukraine and Georgia.

U.S. President George Bush has arrived in Ukraine - the first stop on a European tour that will also take him to Croatia, Russia and the NATO summit in Romania.

President Bush leaves Monday for a European visit including a NATO summit in Romania and talks about U.S. missile-defense plans with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The White House says President Bush will use his trip to Ukraine, Romania, and Croatia next week to try to show support for freedom and democracy in the region and to help the NATO alliance confront 21st century challenges. But the expansion of NATO and especially Ukraiinian membership are seen as a threat by Russia.

The Pentagon says U.S. support for efforts by Georgia and Ukraine to join NATO does not necessarily mean the countries will join the alliance anytime soon. But a spokesman says Defense Secretary Robert Gates agrees it is time to start what could be a long process.

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer says the door is open for the former Soviet republic of Georgia to join the alliance.