Final Communiqué

1. The fifteen Foreign Ministers of the North Atlantic Council ended their meeting in Washington on 4th April, 1959, the 10th Anniversary of the signing of the Treaty.
2. The Council discussed the present international situation, in particular the question of Berlin and the forthcoming negotiations in Geneva relating to Germany. It also reviewed the progress of the Alliance during its first ten years, its present state, and the prospects of future development.
3. The Council received a report from the four Powers with special responsibilities for the German question on the present state of their thought in regard to the problems which will be discussed during the forthcoming negotiations with the Soviet Union. A full discussion took place on the basis of this report. The points of view expressed will be taken into account during the consultations which will follow during the weeks to come.

The Council expressed its full agreement on the broad lines of the policy to be pursued. Whilst stating its desire to see outstanding problems solved by negotiation, the Council confirmed its unanimous determination to maintain the freedom of the people of West Berlin and the rights and obligations of the Allied Powers, as expressed in the Council's declaration on Berlin of 16th December, 1958.

4. In a review of the political situation in other parts of the world, the Council discussed the various forms of pressure which international communism continues to exercise on the Free World. This pressure represents a threat not only to member nations but also to many other free countries, including some whose indepen dence has only recently been established.
5. In considering the development of the Alliance and its future prospects, the Council agreed that the basic reasons which led to the signature of the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949 remain valid today.

The North Atlantic Alliance, which has succeeded in maintaining peace and in safeguarding the security of member countries during the past ten years, remains an essential condition of their freedom. For this reason, and having in mind the present dangers, the Ministers reaffirmed the determination of their Governments to maintain their common defence effort. At the same time, they endorsed the view that the principle of interdependence must be further developed in order that the best use may be made of the available resources for defence.

6. In this connection, the Council had before it a report by the Secretary General on the working of the Alliance, in which he stressed the need to consolidate the security of the West against the world wide challenge with which it is faced. The Council endorsed the Secretary General's call for a further impetus to be given to the work of the Alliance, and recognized the need for increased collective action in regard not only to political consultation and the common defence effort but also to certain aspects of economic, scientific, cultural and information work.
7. In conclusion, the Council recognized that the Atlantic Alliance has proved its vital importance during the past ten years and has helped to stimulate the sense of community amongst member nations. The Council expressed its confidence that the Alliance will continue to develop as the indispensable basis for the security of the Atlantic peoples and the defence of world peace. It believes also that the unity of action and policy which the Alliance makes possible is the best guarantee of successful negotiation with the Soviet Government and of any genuine resolution of differences between the East and West.