Zagreb - The Croatian parliament Wednesday ratified with an overwhelming majority Croatia's membership agreement with NATO, paving the way for the country's full membership in the alliance next month.

Only one representative was against ratification, while 119 were in favour.

Speaking before the vote, Croatian prime minister Ivo Sanader said that NATO is not only a military alliance but an "alliance of values" which has given Europe six decades of peace and prosperity and that with it "Croatia will become an exporter of security."

Surveys have shown that around 60 per cent of the Croatian population have been consistently in favour of NATO membership in recent years.

Croatia and Albania will become NATO's 27th and 28th members at the alliance summit in Strasbourg on April 3 and 4. (dpa)