PRESS COMMUNIQUE M-DMCP-1(93)28 For immediate release
29th March 1993
STATEMENT ISSUED AT THE MEETING OF DEFENCE MINISTERS
AT NATO HEADQUARTERS, BRUSSELS ON 29TH MARCH, 1993
1. We, NATO Defence Ministers and Representatives of
Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy,
Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, United
Kingdom, the United States, and the Defence Ministers and
Representatives of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus,
Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary,
Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia,
Slovakia and Ukraine met today in Brussels to review the progress
made in dialogue, co-operation and partnership in defence-related
matters. We also used this occasion to have a wide-ranging
exchange of views on broader security issues and challenges.
2. We continue to be deeply disturbed by the situation in
the former Yugoslavia, particularly in Bosnia Hercegovina, which
despite hopes of progress in the peace negotiations, remains a
serious threat to security and stability. We reiterated our
support for UN efforts, to which many of us have contributed,
designed to bring the conflict to a halt. In view of the
agreement of the other interested parties, we call upon the
Bosnian Serb leadership to agree to the peace plan currently
under discussion in New York. The situation in the former
Yugoslavia, with potential of a spill-over of the war in Bosnia
Hercegovina to other areas in the region, is only one example,
albeit a very serious one, of crises which concern us all. A
number of other conflicts also threaten peace and stability in
our area and we therefore urge all parties concerned to settle
peacefully their differences.
3. We welcomed the signature of the START II Treaty by
Russia and the United States as a major step towards drastic
reductions in strategic nuclear forces. We reaffirmed our
support for the START I Treaty and the Treaty on Non-
Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and welcomed progress
towards ratification of START I and the accession of a number of
further states to the NPT. We are committed to preventing
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and strongly support
the indefinite extension of the NPT in 1995. We look forward to
the early ratification of START I and accession to the NPT as
non-nuclear weapon states by the remaining signatories of the
Lisbon Protocol. We note in this connection that the relevant
security assurances given by nuclear weapon states parties to the
treaty will apply to new non-nuclear weapon states parties. We
expressed serious concern over the recent decision of the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea to withdraw from the NPT
and from its safeguards agreement with the International Atomic
Energy Agency. Prevention of nuclear proliferation is essential
for world peace and stability. We attach the greatest importance
to maintaining safe and secure control of the nuclear weapons of
the former Soviet Union and of the fissile material resulting
from the dismantlement of nuclear warheads. In this context we
expressed the hope that the bilateral negotiations related to
this issue will soon reach a satisfactory conclusion. We also
welcomed the signature, by more than 130 nations, of the Chemical
Weapons Convention, as a decisive step towards the global
elimination of these weapons. We are encouraged by efforts
towards increased co-operation in the implementation of the CFE
Treaty and the moves towards the formation of joint inspection
teams among the signatories and the organisation of joint
training programmes for CFE inspectors.
4. When we met last year, we recognised that we all faced
a major task in transforming our military forces following the
end of the Cold War. We agreed to intensify dialogue in the
defence and military spheres and to establish the basis for
mutually beneficial co-operation between us. Much has since been
achieved, both in bilateral contacts and within the multilateral
framework. Military to military staff talks between NATO's
Military Authorities and many partners now take place on a
regular basis, and have contributed significantly to improved
transparency and mutual understanding. Programmes of co-
operation have been agreed between a number of allies and co-
operation partners. Even where the process has not reached this
formal stage, expert teams have been exchanged, a wide range of
seminars and workshops have been held, and places have been made
available to partners' countries on both Allied and NATO courses.
In February 1993 the Military Committee met for the first time
in co-operation session at Military Representative level. The
second meeting of the Military Committee in co-operation at Chief
of Defence Staff level will be held next month.
5. The record over the past year has been impressive:
several hundred projects have been implemented either by
multinational teams or by individual allies. Considerable
progress has been made from an initial phase of familiarisation
towards a more regular and structured dialogue, and towards
increasingly practical co-operation. The primary aim of our
meeting this year was to give further impetus to practical co-
operation.
6. Looking to the future, we need to build on the firm
basis of understanding that has resulted from the intensified
dialogue of the past year. Much work remains to be done and
there are many areas where the extensive experience of allies and
partners could be better shared. We have therefore agreed a
number of measures to make the co-operation process more
effective. Particular attention will be devoted to force
restructuring, training and education, defence management,
defence planning issues, civil-military relations, and the legal
framework for armed forces.
7. We recognise that the demands on the international
community to support the maintenance of peace are likely to
remain high. As a consequence peacekeeping and humanitarian
assistance missions are likely to place additional demands on our
military forces. As Defence Ministers we each have a particular
responsibility to ensure that our military forces can respond
effectively to such contingencies. The ability to act in a co-
operative framework is of increasing importance: we believe that
co-operation in peacekeeping can bring extensive benefits both
in the necessary preparation of our forces for the tasks ahead
and in the implementation of these tasks. Some NATO countries and
partner countries have already worked fruitfully together under
UN auspices. Important progress has been made under the aegis
of the North Atlantic Co-operation Council where our countries
have agreed a number of measures for practical co-operation in
planning and preparation for peacekeeping. As Defence Ministers
we shall each ensure that a high priority will be given to this
work and that appropriate resources and expertise for such
practical co-operation will be made available.
8. We intend to maintain and increase the momentum of co-
operation in the defence-related area in the coming year,
building on the approach and arrangements we established last
year. Co-operation in defence-related matters is now a firmly
rooted part of our relationship and makes a significant
contribution to the success of our partnership. It is important
in the present circumstances, where regional instabilities and
risks have proliferated, that we continue to enhance our ability
to work effectively together in the pursuit of our common
objectives of strengthening international security and stability.
We shall therefore continue the process of dialogue and co-
operation with this objective clearly in mind. We shall meet
annually in this forum, or more often should the need arise, to
review the developing process of co-operation, and other issues
of mutual interest.