Prague Summit: New Relationships

At the Prague Summit, NATO will seek to deepen and enhance its partnerships with non-NATO countries in order to enhance security throughout the Euro-Atlantic area.

The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) is the overarching framework for NATO's cooperation with its partners from Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia.

In Prague, proposals for further developing the potential of the EAPC and NATO's Partnership for Preace programme will be discussed by Heads of State and Government from NATO and partner countries.

In 1997 NATO and Ukraine signed a Charter on a Distinctive Partnership, which provides a framework for consultation and co-operation in areas such as conflict prevention, crisis management, peace-support, humanitarian operations, civil emergency planning, disaster preparedness, and defence reform.

The NATO-Ukraine Commission will meet at the level of Foreign Ministers in Prague to discuss ways of enhancing the partnership.

At their meeting in Reykjavik in May 2002, NATO foreign ministers decided to upgrade the political and practical dimensions of Mediterranean Dialogue by the time of the Prague Summit. This will include consulting with Mediterranean partners on security matters of common concern, including terrorism-related issues.

The events of 11 September have underlined the importance of enhanced cooperation between NATO and the European Union on questions of common interest relating to security, defence, and crisis management.

Work is continuing in both organisations on the various aspects of this relationship.

The establishment of the NATO-Russia Council at the Rome Summit on 28 May 2002 opened a new chapter in NATO-Russia relations.

The Council brings together the 19 NATO Allies and Russia to identify and pursue opportunities for joint action at 20 as equal partners. A meeting of the Council at the level of Foreign Ministers will be held during the Prague Summit.