Central Europe -- The Indispensable Region

For Central Europe, the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989 marked the beginning of an ongoing journey to full-fledged Euro-Atlantic integration. Although the transition from dictatorship to democracy, from a centrally planned economy to market economy, and the return to a pro-Western approach in foreign policy are considered by most observers a success story, the transition did not solve the region's problems all at once. There is an increasing feeling in the capitals of Central Europe that these countries are now considered to be "check-check-done," somehow forgotten from a strategic aspect. However, Central Europe is as important to the Atlantic Alliance as Washington is to these countries, through security policy, energy policy and democratic governance. Many lessons can be learned from the countries of Central Europe, and there are important aspects of cooperation here for any American administration that seeks reliable Atlanticist democracies willing to offer their experience of transitioning from tyranny to liberty.