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NATO Foreign Ministers' meetings, December 8, 2005
NATO Foreign Ministers held meetings on December 8 in Brussels.
In addition to the North Atlantic Council communique and the
NATO-Russia Council statement below, meetings of the European
Atlantic Partnership Council and the NATO Ukraine Commission were
also held.
It is worth noting that unlike previous Foreign Ministers' North
Atlantic Council communiques, the Communique issued on December 8,
2005, makes no reference to any of the Treaties controlling the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction - the NPT, the CWC or
the BTWC.
Ministerial meeting of the North Atlantic
Council held at NATO Headquarters, Brussels, on 8 December
2005
- NATO is the basis for our collective defence. It embodies the
vital partnership between Europe and North America and is the
essential forum for transatlantic consultations on the security
challenges we face at the beginning of the 21st century. Our
Alliance is founded on the principles of democracy, individual
liberty, and the rule of law as enshrined in the Washington Treaty
and is faithful to the purposes and principles of the United
Nations Charter. Enhanced political dialogue is key to addressing
today's challenges to the security of Alliance members. NATO is
reforming, modernising its military capabilities to meet new
operational requirements; promoting stability and shared values
through its partnerships; and enhancing its cooperation with other
organisations.
- At our meeting today, we discussed political and operational
aspects of NATO's ongoing operations and missions which contribute
to preserving and restoring peace, and considered developments in
the Western Balkans and the Middle East. We discussed ways to make
sure that NATO has access to the capabilities needed to respond to
common threats and challenges, from wherever they may come. The
NATO Response Force is a catalyst for focussing and promoting
improvements in the Alliance's military capabilities. We also gave
direction for further work in the run-up to the NATO Summit in Riga
next November, where our Heads of State and Government will take
stock of the ongoing political and military transformation of the
Alliance and chart the way ahead.
- We are committed to the continuing success of the UN-mandated,
NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in all its
aspects and have today agreed to move NATO's support for peace and
security in Afghanistan to a new level. We have endorsed the
operational plan that allows for the continued expansion of ISAF.
Provincial Reconstruction Teams are at the leading edge of NATO's
effort, supported by military forces capable of addressing security
threats where ISAF operates, and reinforced by flexible, robust
reserve forces, whenever the situation on the ground so requires.
Pursuant to its operations plan, ISAF will:
- Assist the Afghan Government in extending its authority;
- Conduct stability and security operations in its area of
responsibility, in coordination with Afghan national security
forces;
- Mentor and support the Afghan National Army to increase their
capability and reach;
- Support Afghan Government programmes to disarm illegally armed
groups;
- Operate and maintain security for Kabul International
Airport;
- Assist the Afghan National Police with niche training and in
their interaction with the Afghan National Army;
- Advise and support the Afghan Government on border security
strategy;
- Support Afghan Government counter-narcotics efforts; and
- Assist with other key elements of security sector reform, in
close cooperation with G-8 lead nations.
In addition to NATO's agreed detention policy for ISAF, which is
and remains consistent with international law, we welcome
initiatives by Allies to assist the Afghan authorities in the
implementation of international standards for the detention of
prisoners.
- To complement our operational presence, in response to
President Karzai's request for a broad and long-term relationship
with NATO, we have agreed to develop an Afghan cooperation
programme in close consultation with the Afghan authorities, with
the goal of agreeing key elements of it by the time of the London
Conference on Afghanistan next month. The programme will
concentrate on activities to support the Afghan authorities with
defence reform, defence institution building and the military
aspects of security sector reform, drawing upon selected
Partnership for Peace instruments as well as activities tailored to
meet Afghanistan's specific needs. Building on the success of the
recent Parliamentary elections and the completion of the Bonn
process, we will continue to provide strong support for the Afghan
Government. NATO will play an active role at the London Conference,
and we remain committed to working together with the Government of
Afghanistan and other international organisations to help build a
peaceful, stable and democratic Afghanistan.
- We fully support the negotiations on the future status of
Kosovo led by the Special Envoy of the United Nations, Martti
Ahtisaari, and call on all sides to approach these talks in a
constructive manner. In parallel, Kosovo's communities and the
Provisional Institutions of Self-Government must continue progress
on meeting the internationally-endorsed standards. NATO will
maintain a robust military presence in Kosovo and will remain
engaged politically, including through participation in the
Expanded Contact Group.
- We welcome the adoption of the constitution and look forward to
working with the new Iraqi Government after the parliamentary
elections later this month. We remain united in our support for the
Iraqi people and for the stability, democratic development, unity
and territorial integrity of the Republic of Iraq, consistent with
relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. The recent
inauguration of the Iraqi Joint Staff College at Ar- Rustamiyah,
supported by NATO, is a clear demonstration of our commitment, as
are the contributions of NATO member states in and outside of Iraq.
The NATO Training Mission for Iraqi security forces will continue
to develop, with the aim of adding training courses for
non-commissioned officers and a basic officers course, within means
and capabilities, in the light of needs, views and requests of the
Iraqi Government.
- We strongly condemn terrorism, whatever its motivations or
manifestations, and will fight it together as long as necessary.
Our efforts to fight terrorism will continue to be conducted in
conformity with international law, including the United Nations
Charter and relevant international conventions and protocols.
Operation Active Endeavour, NATO's maritime surveillance and escort
operation in the Mediterranean, demonstrates our resolve. We look
forward to the contribution of Russia, Ukraine and Mediterranean
Dialogue partners, and welcome the interest expressed by Georgia in
supporting this operation. We remain open to considering offers of
support by interested countries on a case-by-case basis.
- In response to a call by the Government of Pakistan following
the October earthquake, we are providing urgent humanitarian
assistance in close coordination with other international
organisations, both by airlift and by activating the NATO Response
Force and deploying a tailored package of elements to carry out an
earthquake relief operation. We have provided logistical support to
the African Union Mission in Sudan in the areas of strategic
deployment and staff-capacity building, and are now implementing
further requests by the African Union in the area of rotation of
troops and staff-capacity building.
- Today's challenges demand improved cooperation among
international organisations. In all our operations and missions, we
intend to continue practical cooperation with the international
actors concerned. We are determined to deepen and further develop
the cooperation between NATO and the United Nations and give more
substance to the agreed framework of the Alliance's strategic
partnership with the European Union.
- Strengthening relations with partners remains an important goal
for NATO. We welcome the interest by contact countries in NATO's
activities. We are determined to make the Euro-Atlantic Partnership
Council and Partnership for Peace more effective value-based
frameworks for enhancing international stability, extending
interoperability and cooperation between Allies and partners, and
promoting democratic values and reforms. We welcome the response by
many countries to the new opportunities for closer cooperation with
NATO through our Mediterranean Dialogue and Istanbul Cooperation
Initiative, and underline the importance of their ongoing
activities. We intend to ensure that our various partnership
instruments continue to help us to pursue the objectives of
partnership and are pleased that partners are increasingly using
these tools. We welcome the contributions to our operations by our
partner and contact countries as well as by other nations.
- We reaffirm our determination to make full use of the
NATO-Russia Council (NRC) as the framework to enhance our political
dialogue and practical cooperation with Russia in the spirit of the
2002 Rome Declaration. We are looking forward to the prompt
ratification by Russia of the PfP Status of Forces Agreement which
will allow for even more substantial cooperation between us. We
note with satisfaction the successful implementation to date of the
NATO-Russia Action Plan on Terrorism, as well as the progress made
in several areas of practical cooperation. We welcome the launch of
the NRC Pilot Project on Counter-Narcotics Training for Afghan and
Central Asian Personnel.
- We welcome Ukraine's recent efforts to strengthen her
democratic institutions and reform her defence and security
sectors. We express satisfaction at this stage with our joint
discussions of these reform efforts held following the launch of
the Intensified Dialogue. We encourage Ukraine to continue to
contribute to regional security. We stress that further progress
towards achieving Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration goals,
including possible participation in the Membership Action Plan,
will depend primarily on Ukraine's concrete, measurable progress in
implementing key reforms and policies, as well as the conduct of
free, fair elections to the Verkhovna Rada in March 2006.
- We remain committed to the integration of all Western Balkan
countries into Euro-Atlantic structures, and welcome the positive
developments in the region. These countries must continue to deepen
their regional cooperation and promote good-neighbourly relations,
find mutually acceptable solutions to, and reach agreements on,
outstanding issues. They have to assume ownership of the reform
process and build enduring multi-ethnic democracies, combat
organised crime, corruption and human trafficking, and firmly
establish the rule of law.
- We welcome the continuing defence reforms in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, with the support of NATO HQ Sarajevo, and the
ratification of a Lines of Communication agreement with NATO in
Serbia and Montenegro, which paves the way for deepening joint work
on defence reform. We remain committed to our goal of welcoming
both countries in our Partnership for Peace programme once they
have met the established conditions. Full cooperation with the
International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) by
all countries concerned remains vital, in particular bringing to
justice all those indicted by the Tribunal, notably Radovan
Karadzic and Ratko Mladic.
- We reaffirm that NATO's door remains open to new members,
emphasising that decisions on invitations to aspirants will depend
on their performance. We commend the progress made by Albania,
Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 1
in the Membership Action Plan. We note Croatia's improved level of
cooperation with the ICTY as noted in the recent assessment by the
Chief Prosecutor of the ICTY and urge Croatia to locate, apprehend
and transfer to the ICTY in The Hague the fugitive Ante Gotovina.
We encourage Albania, Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia to pursue the reforms necessary to progress towards NATO
membership. We also encourage other Partner countries who have
expressed membership aspirations to make full use of Partnership
instruments.
- We reiterate our commitment to the CFE Treaty as a cornerstone
of European security and to the early entry into force of the
Adapted Treaty, which would permit accession by new States Parties.
We recall that fulfilment of the remaining Istanbul commitments on
the Republic of Georgia and the Republic of Moldova will create the
conditions for Allies and other States Parties to move forward on
ratification of the Adapted CFE Treaty. In this context, we welcome
the important progress achieved by Russia and Georgia in their
Joint Statement of 30 May 2005 on issues related to the withdrawal
of Russian forces, and look forward to resolution of the remaining
issues. However, we note with regret the lack of progress on
withdrawal of Russian military forces from the Republic of Moldova
and we call upon Russia to resume and complete its withdrawal as
soon as possible.
- We remain committed to our transatlantic link. The Alliance
serves as the essential forum for security consultation between
Europe and North America and as the effective instrument for Allies
to provide peace and stability, now and into the future. NATO's
transformation is on track. Our meeting today has set a clear
course to the NATO Summit in Riga next November.
- Turkey recognises the Republic of Macedonia
with its constitutional name
Meeting of the NATO-Russia Council at the
level of Foreign Ministers held in Brussels on Thursday, 8 December
2005
Meeting in Brussels on 8 December 2005, we, the Foreign
Ministers of the NATO-Russia Council, welcomed the substantial
progress achieved throughout the past year in developing and
reinforcing our political dialogue and practical cooperation,
including through the development of common positions and joint
initiatives, in the spirit of the May 2002 Rome Declaration.
Building upon the political consultations conducted in 2005 on
the situations in Afghanistan, the Balkans, the Middle East,
Georgia and Central Asia, we exchanged views on current
international security issues, including on recent developments in
Kosovo and Afghanistan.
Reaffirming our determination to intensify efforts in 2006, we
reviewed progress in implementing the NATO-Russia Action Plan on
Terrorism, including the preparation of Russian naval assets for
their role in Operation Active Endeavour in the Mediterranean Sea,
aimed at helping deter, defend, disrupt and protect against
terrorism. We welcomed the results of the conference on "Lessons
Learned from Recent Terrorist Attacks: Building National
Capabilities and Institutions", held in Ljubljana, Slovenia in
June-July 2005. We noted with satisfaction Russia's signature of
the Partnership for Peace Status of Forces Agreement, which will
provide a legal foundation for increased practical and operational
cooperation, and looked forward to its prompt ratification. We
approved an ambitious work programme for the coming year, which
will build upon these and other achievements, and underscored our
commitment to raise public awareness of the NRC's objectives,
principles and activities.
We reaffirmed our support for international efforts to promote
security and stability in and around Afghanistan. In this regard,
we expressed concern over threats posed by the trafficking in
narcotics, including its links to the financing of terrorism, and
agreed today to launch an NRC Pilot Project on Counter-Narcotics
Training for Afghan and Central Asian Personnel. We expect this
joint NATO-Russia effort to make a concrete and meaningful
contribution to international efforts to countering threats posed
by narcotics trafficking.
We underscored the need to work together in concrete ways to
improve the security of our peoples, and of all in the
Euro-Atlantic area. We noted with satisfaction the successful
completion of the Phase I Feasibility Study of the Cooperative
Airspace Initiative, which will improve our ability to cooperate in
airspace management, safety and transparency. We looked forward to
the third NRC Theatre Missile Defence Command Post Exercise, to be
hosted by Russia in 2006, building upon successful exercises hosted
by the United States and the Netherlands. We welcomed progress in
cooperation on civil emergency planning, and looked forward to an
NRC Consequence Management Exercise to be hosted by Italy in the
autumn of 2006. We welcomed the on-going NRC dialogue on the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and underlined
the need for further enhancement of such dialogue. We noted
progress in exploring opportunities for practical cooperation on
protection from nuclear, biological and chemical materials and
agents, and looked forward to further work in this area in
2006.
We welcomed progress in NRC cooperation on Defence Reform, noting
in particular the endorsement by NRC Defence Ministers, in June
2005, of Political-Military Guidance towards Enhanced
Interoperability between Forces of Russia and NATO Nations. We were
also pleased to note the adoption by NRC Chiefs of Defence Staff of
an ambitious Work Plan for 2006 and Beyond to guide future
military-to-military cooperation. We noted with appreciation the
concrete results of combined training and exercises in areas
including Search and Rescue at Sea and Communications, and looked
forward to continued efforts. In addition to increasing the
interoperability of our forces, such efforts help build mutual
understanding and trust, a necessary foundation for a meaningful,
sustainable partnership. We also noted with satisfaction the
successful conduct of an NRC Seminar on Nuclear Doctrine and
Strategy in Germany in July 2005, and the NRC's observation of
nuclear accident response exercise Senator 2005, hosted by the
United Kingdom in September 2005.
With regard to the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe
(CFE), in accordance with our shared principle of indivisibility of
security, we reaffirmed the position expressed in our Statement on
9 December 2004. We welcomed recent progress toward fulfilling the
commitments reflected in the Final Act of the 1999 Conference of
the States Parties to the CFE Treaty and urged expedited efforts to
fulfill remaining commitments. In this context, we agreed to work
toward ratification by all the States Parties and entry into force
of the Agreement on Adaptation of the CFE Treaty. We looked forward
to the forthcoming Third CFE Review Conference.
Finally, noting with satisfaction the considerable progress
achieved over the past three and a half years in the areas of
cooperation identified by Heads of State and Government in Pratica
di Mare, we recognised the need to seek possibilities for deepening
cooperation in the NRC framework. In this regard, we tasked NRC
Ambassadors, taking into account the implementation of NATO-Russia
cooperation to date, to provide, at our next meeting,
recommendations for priorities in the further development of the
new quality of NATO-Russia relations as envisioned by the Rome
Declaration.
Source: NATO, http://www.nato.int.
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© 2005 The Acronym Institute.
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