Disarmament Documentation
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NATO Foreign Ministers Meetings & Discussions with Russia,
December 6-7
This section includes:
Final Communiqué
Final Communiqué, Ministerial Meeting of the North
Atlantic Council (NAC), Brussels; NATO Press Release
M-NAC-2(2001)158, December 6.
2. Today we commit ourselves to forge a new relationship with
Russia, enhancing our ability to work together in areas of common
interest. We reaffirm that a confident and cooperative partnership
between the Allies and Russia, based on shared democratic values
and the shared commitment to a stable, peaceful and undivided
Europe, as enshrined in the NATO-Russia Founding Act, is essential
for stability and security in the Euro-Atlantic area. We have
decided to give new impetus and substance to our partnership, with
the goal of creating, with Russia, a new NATO-Russia Council, to
identify and pursue opportunities for joint action at 20. To that
end, we have tasked the North Atlantic Council in Permanent Session
to explore and develop, in the coming months, building on the
Founding Act, new, effective mechanisms for consultation,
cooperation, joint decision, and coordinated/joint action. We
intend that such cooperative mechanisms will be in place for, or
prior to, our next meeting in Reykjavik in May 2002. NATO's
fundamental objectives remain as set out in the Washington Treaty,
under which provisions NATO will maintain its prerogative of
independent decision and action at 19 on all issues consistent with
its obligations and responsibilities.
3. We are pleased that Russia stands with us in the struggle
against terrorism, and believe this will contribute significantly
to our common goal of a strong, stable and enduring NATO-Russia
partnership. We are intensifying our cooperation in this and other
areas, including non-proliferation, export control and arms control
matters, arms transparency and confidence building measures,
missile defence, search and rescue at sea, and military-to-military
cooperation, which represents a major step towards a qualitatively
new relationship. We support Russia's right to protect her
territorial integrity, and recognise her right to protect all
citizens against terrorism and criminality. We welcome the initial
steps Russia has taken towards establishing a political dialogue
over the conflict in Chechnya. We urge Russia to build on these
steps to find a prompt and lasting political and peaceful
resolution to the conflict and to respect and protect the human and
legal rights of the population. We call on the Chechen side to
cooperate in good faith in seeking a political solution to the
conflict, to condemn terrorism and to take actions against it.
...
15. We reaffirm that the Alliance must have the capability to
defend appropriately and effectively against the threats that the
proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and their means of
delivery can pose. Our response should be consistent with the
indivisibility of Allied security. We will continue to work
together to adapt the Alliance's comprehensive strategy to meet
these challenges, adopting an appropriate mix of political and
defence efforts. In this context, the Alliance's policy of support
for arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation will continue
to play a major role in the achievement of the Alliance's security
objectives. The Alliance stresses the importance of abiding by and
strengthening existing multilateral non-proliferation and export
control regimes and international arms control and disarmament
accords. We will continue to actively contribute to the development
of agreements and measures in this field and pursue further arms
reductions, transparency and confidence-building. We reaffirm our
determination to contribute to the implementation of the
conclusions of the 2000 Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference
and will work towards a successful outcome of the upcoming review.
We also support ongoing efforts to achieve an International Code of
Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation before the end of
2002. Non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament along with
deterrence and defence play an essential role in enhancing security
against these new threats and challenges. In this context, the role
that missile defence could play is being actively considered as we
continue our consultations with the United States on this issue. In
this regard, we welcome continued work at NATO on theatre missile
defence.
16. Recalling the results of the second CFE Review Conference,
Allies welcome Russia's planned reductions of its excess equipment
in the North Caucasus to agreed levels, which must be transparent
and verifiable, and progress in the reduction and withdrawal of
Russian equipment from Moldova. We call for swift resolution of
remaining issues between Russia and Georgia. Allies can envisage
ratification of the adapted CFE Treaty only in the context of full
compliance by all States Parties with agreed Treaty limits and
consistent with the commitments in the CFE Final Act. We look
forward to the entry into force of the Open Skies Treaty on 1
January 2002.
Statement on Terrorism
'NATO's Response to Terrorism', Ministerial Meeting of the
NAC, Brussels; NATO Press Release M-NAC-2(2001)159, December 6,
2001.
1. The terrorist attacks of September 11 were an outrage against
the entire world. We are responding to bring to justice those
responsible for these crimes, and to prevent them from taking
innocent lives in future.
2. Terrorism threatens the lives of our citizens, and their
human rights and civil liberties. It also poses a threat to the
development and functioning of democratic institutions, the
territorial integrity of states, and peaceful relations between
them, and to international peace and security. There is no
justification whatsoever for terrorist actions. We categorically
reject and resolutely condemn terrorism in all its forms and
manifestations. We, the 19 NATO Allies, are determined to combat
this scourge. Our security requires no less.
3. We consider the events of September 11 to be an armed attack
not just on one ally, but on us all, and have therefore invoked
Article 5 of the Washington Treaty. Accordingly, we have decided to
support, individually and collectively, the ongoing US-led military
operations against the terrorists who perpetrated the September 11
outrages and those who provide them sanctuary. NATO surveillance
aircraft are patrolling US airspace, for the first time ever.
Alliance naval forces have deployed to the eastern Mediterranean to
demonstrate NATO's solidarity and resolve. Our peacekeeping forces
in the Balkans, with the support of countries of the region, have
been acting to prevent terrorist groups from operating within and
from the Balkans. Individual Allies have offered forces and other
assets to the campaign against terrorism and for use in
humanitarian relief. We will continue our support to the United
States for the US-led operation against these terrorists until it
has reached its objectives. We will provide this support in
accordance with our decisions and in full compliance with all our
commitments under international law and relevant provisions of the
United Nations Charter. ...
5. We reiterate our determination to combat the threat of
terrorism for as long as necessary. In keeping with our obligations
under the Washington Treaty we will continue to strengthen our
national and collective capacities to protect our populations,
territory and forces from any armed attack, including terrorist
attack, directed from abroad. We recognised this challenge in the
Strategic Concept adopted at the Washington Summit, where we made
clear that any armed attack on the territory of the Allies, from
whatever direction, would be covered by Article 5 of the Washington
Treaty and where we singled out terrorism as a risk to the security
interests of the Alliance. Meeting this challenge is fundamental to
our security.
6. To accomplish this crucial task of protecting our
populations, territory and forces, we will examine ways to adapt
and enhance Alliance military capabilities. We will deepen our
relations with other states and international organisations so that
information is shared, and appropriate cooperative action is taken
more effectively. Our countries are also working together closely
to meet the threat posed by possible terrorist use of Weapons of
Mass Destruction. Disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation
can make an essential contribution to the fight against terrorism.
We will enhance our ability to provide support, when requested, to
national authorities for the protection of civilian populations
against the effects of any terrorist attack. We will also enhance
cooperation with our Partners in this field taking into account the
various proposals and initiatives put forward. ...
NATO-Russia Joint Statement
'NATO-Russia Joint Statement', issued on the Occasion of the
Meeting of the Permanent Joint Council (PJC) at the Level of
Foreign Ministers, Brussels, December 7; NATO website,
http://www.nato.int.
1. Today we commit ourselves to forge a new relationshipbetween
NATO Allies and Russia, enhancing our ability to work together in
areas of common interest and to stand up to new threats and risks
to our security. We reaffirm that a confident and cooperative
partnership between the Allies and Russia, based on shared
democratic values and the shared commitment to a stable, peaceful
and undivided Europe, as enshrined in the NATO-Russia Founding Act,
is essential for stability and security in the Euro-Atlantic area.
We have decided to give new impetus and substance to our
partnership, with the goal of creating a new council bringing
together NATO member states and Russia to identify and pursue
opportunities for joint action at 20.
2. We, the Ministers, will continue our dialogue on the process
on which we have embarked today. Regular working contacts will also
be maintained between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the
Russian Federation and NATO. The NATO-Russia Permanent Joint
Council has also tasked its Ambassadors to explore and develop, in
the coming months, building on the Founding Act, new, effective
mechanisms for consultation, cooperation, joint decision, and
coordinated/joint action. We intend that such cooperative
mechanisms beyond the current format will be in place for, or prior
to, our meeting in Reykjavik in May 2002.
3. We condemn terrorism in all its manifestations. We reiterate
our deepest sympathies to the victims, and their families, of the
September 11 and other terrorist attacks. We fully support UN
Security Council Resolutions 1368 and 1373, and will spare no
efforts in bringing to justice the perpetrators, organisers and
sponsors of such acts and in defeating the scourge of
terrorism.
4. We are reminded by these tragic events that NATO and Russia
face common threats that demand comprehensive, co-ordinated
responses. We are encouraged by the strong spirit of partnership
and co-operation that has evolved in the NATO-Russia relationship.
We are intensifying our cooperation in the struggle against
terrorism and in other areas, including crisis management,
non-proliferation, arms control and confidence building measures,
theatre missile defence, search and rescue at sea,
military-to-military cooperation and civil emergencies, which
represents a major step towards a qualitatively new
relationship.
© 2001 The Acronym Institute.
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