TIRANA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Defense ministers from the 26 NATO member countries will meet with their counterparts from west Balkan countries in Tirana later this month, an Albanian Defense Ministry spokesman said on Friday.

    Defense ministers from the alliance members will meet with the defense ministers from non-NATO countries of Albania, Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro on Sept. 27 in Tirana in their annual meeting, spokesman Agim Doci said.

    Albania, Croatia and Macedonia signed the "Adriatic Charter" with the United States in May, 2003, designed to facilitate their integration into the North Atlantic Alliance.

    The three countries hope to get invitations to join the club from the alliance by 2008. Enditem