Official NATO visit to the Balkans

NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson, and the Alliance's 19 Permanent Representatives went on a visit to Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina, 12-13 July, where they were fully briefed on developments in these countries.

During their trip to Albania on 12 July, Lord Robertson and the Ambassadors met with President Rexhep Meidani, Prime Minister Ilir Meta, Defence Minister Ismail Lleshi, Foreign Minister Paskal Milo and the Ministers of Public Order and of Finance.

As well as meeting government officials to discuss NATO-Albania relations and the situation in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia ¹, they received the first demilitarised anti-personnel mine, destroyed under the NATO PfP Trust Fund project launched on 29 June 2001 (see Destruction of anti-personnel mines in Albania). The project will ensure that Albania's stockpile of 1.6 million mines is destroyed before February 2004, an obligation stipulated under Article 4 of the Ottawa Treaty.

In Sarajevo on 13 July, the Secretary General and the Ambassadors met with the Tri-Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They discussed the need for military reform as a prerequisite for integration into NATO's Partnership for Peace programme. They also met with the Commander of SFOR, Lt. General Michael Dodson, who briefed them on the continued efforts of SFOR to contribute to stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the general need to improve law enforcement in the country. Lord Robertson and the Ambassadors also exchanged information on the civil implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement with the High Representative and officials from the United Nations and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.