NATO SEMINAR WITH CO-OPERATION PARTNERS ON IMPLEMENTATION OF CONVENTIONAL ARMS CONTROL AGREEMENTS

From 14 to 16 September, NATO's Verification
Co-ordinating Committee is hosting, at the NATO
Headquarters in Brussels, its fourth Seminar with
Partner countries on co-operation in the verification
and implementation of conventional arms control
agreements, including the Treaty on Conventional Armed
Forces in Europe (CFE Treaty) and of the Vienna
Document 92. Representatives from the Ministries of
Foreign Affairs and Defence and the Heads of the
national verification organizations of Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic,
Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Poland, Romania,
the Russian Federation, the Slovak Republic and Ukraine
are participating, together with their counterparts from
all 16 NATO countries.

Participants from 30 countries are assessing the
results of the co-operation programme initiated by NATO
in January 1993, which covers four main areas: joint
inspections of declared sites; joint inspections of
major equipment reduction events; joint training
courses; and sharing of information stored on NATO's
verification data-base VERITY.

The Seminar was opened by the Acting Secretary General,
Ambassador Balanzino. Ambassador Dr. I. Gyarmati from
Hungary is the keynote speaker, and Ambassador C. Ene of
Romania and Ambassador Dr. R. Hartmann of Germany are
guest speakers on arms control topics. During the
Seminar, participants have the opportunity to assess
lessons learned during almost 200 CFE inspections
conducted during the past 18 months by joint inspection
teams, composed of inspectors from Allied and
Cooperation countries. These inspections related to
forces and installations of the 30 CFE signatory
countries. The Seminar participants are also
discussing their experiences gained from the reduction
of more than 30,000 conventional armament items and
possible enhancements to their co-operation.

Reductions will continue until the ceilings established
by the CFE Treaty will have been reached. Allies
continue to attach the highest importance to seeing that
becoming a reality, by 14 November 1995 at the latest.

MEDIA OPPORTUNITY

On Friday, 16 September, 14:30 hours, Conference Room
Brosio.

Briefing by the VCC Chairman, Mr. Necil NEDIMOGLU.