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Updated: 23-Oct-2000 Ministerial Communiqus

Nuclear
Planning
Group

Warrington
Virginia
12th November
1969

Final Communiqué

Chairman: Mr. M. Brosio.

Synopsis

Political guidelines for possible, tactical use of nuclear weapons approved - review of consultation on possible use of nuclear weapons completed.

The NATO Nuclear Planning Group, composed of Ministers of Defence of seven NATO countries, adjourned today after the conference at Airlie House, Warrington, Virginia, at which they continued their examination of nuclear defence planning.

Attending the meeting were Ambassador de Staercke, representing Mr. Paul Willem Segers, Belgium; Mr. Eric Ninn-Hansen, Denmark; Mr. Helmut Schmidt, Germany; Mr. Luigi Gui, Italy; Mr. Birgi, representing Mr. Ahmet Topaloglu, Turkey; Mr. Denis Healey, United Kingdom; Mr. Melvin R. Laird, United States. Mr. Manlio Brosio, Secretary General of NATO, was chairman.

As part of a continuing process for improving the defence of the Alliance, and on the basis of thorough studies, Ministers approved political guide lines for the possible, tactical use of nuclear weapons in defence of the Treaty area as a basis for future military planning. Work in this field will continue to be developed and elaborated, and Ministers initiated a further program of studies to this end.

Ministers completed a review of the Alliance's procedures for consultation on the possible use of nuclear weapons in defence of NATO on the basis of the existing established principles.

They decided to forward the results of their work to the Nuclear Defence Affairs Committee and the Defence Planning Committee for approval.

The Ministers also pursued their consideration of strategic aspects of NATO's nuclear defence.

The Ministers agreed to hold the Group's next meeting in Italy m the Spring of 1970.

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