Even though Bush and de Hoop Scheffer are being careful with their predictions, Kosovo's independence and Serbia's subsequent reaction are a strong motivation to include the three Southeast European countries in the Alliance, as their NATO membership would significantly boost stability in the region.
Iako su Bush i de Hoop Scheffer oprezni u svojim prognozama, neovisnost Kosova i reakcija Srbije koja je uslijedila predstavljaju snažnu motivaciju za uključivanje triju zemalja jugoistočne Europe u Savez, budući da bi njihovo članstvo u NATO-u znatno ojačalo stabilnost u regiji.