The Foreign Ministers and Representatives of the member countries of the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (NACC) met in Berlin today. The Foreign Ministers and Representatives of countries which have joined the Partnership for Peace (PfP) without being NACC members as well as the Secretary General of the WEU and the Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE also attended the meeting.
German Federal Chancellor Kohl addressed the NACC at its opening session, and Secretary General Solana informed the meeting about the results of the North Atlantic Council meeting on 3 June.
On the basis of several reports, Ministers reviewed the development of NACC/PfP cooperation activities. They welcomed recent measures to enhance the effectiveness of the NACC through a more focussed and result-oriented approach to issues central to NACC cooperation, as well as initiatives designed to reinforce the contribution of NACC activities to the promotion of good-neighbourly relations. They emphasised that NACC continues to provide an invaluable forum for political consultations on key security-related issues of interest to the members. The participation in today's meeting and other NACC consultations of the Chairman-in- Office of the OSCE was a valuable contribution to the consultation process.
Ministers underlined the success of the PfP programme in substantially expanding and deepening cooperation among the participating states thereby creating an enduring framework for relations between Partner nations and Allies. They noted the work underway to further enhance PfP. They welcomed the completion of the first assessment process of Individual Partnership Programmes under the Partnership for Peace. This process provides an effective means to help NATO and Partner nations better focus cooperation efforts. Ministers also noted a progress report on the PfP Planning and Review Process (PARP), which now embraces 15 Partners, and providing information on the extent to which Interoperability Objectives had been implemented by Partners as well as on the intention to broaden and deepen the process in the next cycle which will begin later this year.
Now that NACC/PfP cooperation has become a permanent feature of the European security scene, Ministers appraised its further potential and in particular the opportunities that its habits of cooperation and consultation provide to enhance regional security, stability and cooperation. In particular, Ministers drew attention to the role of the NACC/PfP process in paving the way for the NATO-led peace implementation force in Bosnia through fostering close cooperation. They noted that the participation of twelve Partner countries in Operation "Joint Endeavour" provided clear evidence of our deepening cooperation.
Ministers agreed to hold their next meeting of the NACC the day after the Autumn Ministerial meeting of the North Atlantic Council in December in Brussels. This meeting will mark the Fifth Anniversary of the founding of the NACC.
Ministers extended their deep appreciation for the gracious hospitality extended to them by the German government.
