STYLE SECTION
For NATO, Toasts Without the Bubbly

Javier Solana, the NATO secretary general, shares a toast with President Clinton at a White House dinner Friday. (Dudley M. Brooks — The Washington Post) Related Links The Nightmare That Wasn't White House Guest List The guest list for Friday night's White House dinner in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty: Javier Solana, secretary general of NATO, and Concha Solana Jean-Luc Dehaene, prime minister of Belgium, and Celia Dehaene Jean Chretien, prime minister of Canada, and Aline Chretien Vaclav Havel, president of the Czech Republic, and Dagmar Havlova Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, prime minister of Denmark, and Lone Dybkjaer Jacques Chirac, president of France Gerhard Schroeder, chancellor of Germany, and Doris Schroeder-Koepf Costas Simitis, prime minister of Greece, and Sofia-Dafni Simitis Viktor Orban, prime minister of Hungary, and Aniko Levai David Oddsson, prime minister of Iceland, and Astridur Thorarensen Massimo D'Alema, premier of Italy Jean-Claude Juncker, prime minister of Luxembourg Wim Kok, prime minister of the Netherlands, and Rita Kok-Roukema Kjell Magne Bondevik, prime minister of Norway, and Bjoerg Bondevik Aleksander Kwasniewski, president of Poland, and Jolanta Kwasniewska Jerzy Buzek, prime minister of Poland, and Ludgarda Buzek Antonio Guterres, prime minister of Portugal Jose Maria Aznar, prime minister of Spain, and Ana Botella de Aznar Suleyman Demirel, president of Turkey, and Nazmiye Demirel Tony Blair, prime minister of the United Kingdom, and Cherie Blair.

By Roxanne Roberts and Ann Gerhart
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, April 24, 1999; Page C1

The official, toned-down social side of NATO's 50th anniversary commemoration began last night with two formally informal affairs: a White House dinner for NATO leaders hosted by President Clinton, and a State Department dinner for foreign and defense ministers hosted by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Defense Secretary William Cohen.

The events were grand and historic. They were symbolic and inspirational. They were not meant to be parties in any sense of the word.

"We will look back on this summit, I think, and say, 'Well, it wasn't one of those traditional meetings where we got to have a lot of fun and a lot of laughs, because we were so greatly concerned for the suffering of the people in the Balkans,'‚" Clinton said in his toast. "But it was a profoundly important one because it reminded us of why we got started, what we have to do tomorrow, and what it is that gives our lives meaning in this present day."

The White House was the setting for what history will record as a remarkable evening: leaders of the 19 NATO nations and their spouses dining at one crescent-shaped table in the East Room. President Clinton sat next to NATO Secretary General Javier Solana; the rest of the presidents and prime ministers were introduced and seated according to the date each was inaugurated into office.

Each dignitary was met at the North Portico with the full red-carpet treatment: honor guard, fanfares, his country's flag and a greeting by Chief of Protocol Mary Mel French. The president of France, Jacques Chirac, once again enhanced the reputation of his countrymen by planting a gallant kiss on French's hand.

Clinton began the dinner with his toast, which included what might be the most tortured reference of the summit. At the original treaty signing 50 years ago, he said, the Marine Band played "I Got Plenty of Nuthin' " and "It Ain't Necessarily So" from George Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess."

"I think that after 50 years we can still appreciate Gershwin, but the songs were poorly timed," the president said. "Because NATO has had plenty of substance and its word has been necessarily so." Solana, the only other person to offer a toast, wisely confined his remarks to thanking the Clintons, the leaders and the men and women serving in uniform. Both men received polite applause.

The White House wanted to underscore the theme of unification by seating everyone at a single table, which was covered in celadon damask, centerpieces of green grapes, white roses and orchids, gold candles and the green and gold Truman china. The menu included soft-shell crabs, spring lamb and "A Salute to NATO" dessert with passion fruit tuile and a little chocolate globe. Opera singer Jessye Norman was brought in to provide appropriately grand after-dinner entertainment.

Meanwhile, NATO's foreign and defense ministers mingled with members of Congress and diplomatic brass in the grand Benjamin Franklin dining room at the State Department. The room glittered with gold chairs, gold tablecloths and votive candles in gold-beaded holders, but the mood was restrained and sober.

Literally sober. As the 250 guests filed into the room after a tour of duty in the receiving line, they stood awkwardly before their place cards. More than a few glanced wistfully at bottles of Chardonnay lined up on side tables.

The Law of the Gold Braid was in force last night. It holds that the smaller the nation's population, the more excessive the military ornamentation. (Norway did particularly well.) But except for that and the ever-dazzling Janet Langhart Cohen, wife of the defense secretary who was wearing an incredible emerald brocade suit, the evening was carefully boring. The poor pianist was tucked off in a corner and apparently instructed to play very softly. As if to underscore the night's predictability, Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon appeared in his bow tie. The celebration became so minimal that guests dined on the tiniest of foods – Atlantic scallops followed by roast breast of quail.

Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) held court from his table, huddling with Gen. Hugh Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Helms appeared to do most of the talking. Around the room, military wives exchanged polite smiles and handshakes. What they were talking about remains a mystery: Reporters were not allowed to speak to guests at either the White House or the State Department last night.

In brief remarks before dinner, Cohen and Albright spoke of the historic sweep of the summit. "We have the power to determine a new destiny," said Cohen. "We can hear the hoofbeats of approaching history."

"I know we are all being tested by Kosovo," said Albright, before taking her seat beside Helms. "We know we are doing the right thing, and we know we will prevail."

There was no applause to greet Albright's declaration. Nobody can not celebrate like the United States government can not celebrate.