Definition: In this task, a passage will be given and the goal is to identify an event from the passage. An event is defined as a single word representing something that happened, is happening, or may happen. An event can be factual or hypothetical, positive or negative, certain or uncertain. While most events are based on verbs, an event can also be based on a noun (ex. storm, snow, rainfall) or a copula verb (is, was, been, etc.). The event must not be a pronoun or an adjective. For noun events with multiple words, use the last word in the phrase as event.
Input: Passage: Among the first three former Warsaw Pact countries to accede to NATO on Friday were also Poland and the Czech Republic. The ambassadors of Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic issued a joint statement Friday saying the three countries' entry into NATO will consolidate Europe's security and help eliminate threats to it.

eliminate