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The North Atlantic Council met in Ministerial Session in
Brussels on 7th and 8th December, 1972. Foreign and Defence
Ministers were present.
- In reviewing events since their May meeting, Ministers noted
with satisfaction the new progress in East-West relations. They
observed that this progress flowed in large measure from
initiatives taken by Allied Governments. They took the view
that further significant improvements could be achieved during
the coming year and indicated their readiness to press on with
their efforts. They declared their resolve to bring about
closer and more harmonious relationships, collectively and
individually, among all peoples. They attached particular
importance to freer movement of people, ideas and information.
- Ministers were convinced that the objectives so far reached
would not have been realized without the strength and cohesion
of the Alliance. They expressed their determination,
particularly in view of the continued strengthening of the
Warsaw Pact military forces, to maintain the defensive
capability of the Alliance. A healthy and strong Alliance is an
indispensable condition for promoting stability and for
achieving the aim of a just and lasting peace in Europe.
- Ministers discussed the important developments concerning
Germany which have taken place since their May meeting. They
welcomed the initialing of the treaty on the basis of relations
between the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Demo-
cratic Republic on 8th November, 1972 and the statement of the
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany
that it is envisaged that this Treaty will be signed on 21st
December, 1972 and thereafter will be submitted to the
legislative bodies of the Federal Republic of Germany for
approval. They took note of the statement of the Federal
Foreign Minister that after the ratification of this treaty and
after the domestic pre-conditions have been fulfilled the two
German states will submit their applications for membership of
the United Nations to be considered simultaneously by the
competent organs of the world organization. Ministers took note
of the declaration of the Four Powers of 9th November, 1972. In
this declaration the Four Powers recorded their agreement that
they will support the applications for membership in the United
Nations when submitted by the Federal Republic of Germany and
the German Democratic Republic, and affirm in this connection
that this membership shall in no way affect the rights and
responsibilities of the Four Powers and the corresponding
related quadripartite agreements, decisions, and practices. As
regards the relations between France, the United Kingdom, the
United States and the Federal Republic of Germany, Ministers
noted that this declaration does not affect in any way the
Convention on relations between the Three Powers and the
Federal Republic of Germany and related Conventions and
documents of 26th May, 1952 in the version of 23rd October,
1954.
- On the basis of these developments, individual member
governments might wish to enter into negotiations with the
German Democratic Republic with a view to establishing
bilateral relations. In this connection Ministers reaffirmed
the solidarity of the Alliance partners in questions concerning
Germany, maintained since entry of the Federal Republic of
Germany into the Alliance. The member states of the Atlantic
Alliance expressed their continuing support for the policy of
the Federal Republic of Germany to work towards a state of
peace in Europe in which the German people regains its unity
through free self-determination. Accordingly, they will
continue to take fully into account the special situation in
Germany, which is characterized by the fact that the German
people today lives in two states, that a freely agreed
contractual peace settlement for Germany is still outstanding
and that until such a settlement is achieved, the
above-mentioned rights and responsibilities of the Four Powers
relating to Berlin and Germany as a whole will continue.
- Ministers affirmed that their Governments would work con-
structively to establish necessary agreements in the
multilateral preparatory talks, which have just started in
Helsinki. They recalled that the aim of their Governments at
these talks would be to ensure that their proposals were fully
considered at a Conference and to establish that enough common
ground existed among the participants to warrant reasonable
expectations that a Conference would produce satisfactory
results. They considered that there should be agreement at
these talks on the arrangements and guidelines necessary to
enable such a Conference to produce constructive and specific
results. They noted that such results could be achieved only
through the process of detailed and serious negotiation,
without artificial time limits.
- Ministers confirmed that it is the goal of their Governments
to increase the security of all Europe through negotiations
concerning such questions as principles guiding relations
between the participants and through appropriate measures,
including military ones, aimed at strengthening confidence and
increasing stability so as to contribute to the process of
reducing the dangers of military confrontation; to improve
co-operation in all fields; to bring about closer, more open
and freer relationships between all people in Europe; to
stimulate a wider flow of information and of ideas.
- The Ministers representing countries which participate in
NATO's integrated defence program noted with approval that the
Governments of Belgium, Canada, the Federal Republic of
Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, United
States, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Norway and Turkey have proposed
that the Governments of Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic
Republic, Hungary, Poland and the Soviet Union join them in
exploratory talks beginning on 31st January, 1973 on the
question of Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions in Central
Europe. These Ministers recalled that this proposal accorded
with past Allied initiatives and noted some indication of
Eastern readiness to begin such talks at the time proposed.
Ministers hoped that these talks would make it possible to
commence negotiations on this subject in the Autumn of 1973.
They noted that such a program implied that talks on both
Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions and on a Conference on
Security and Co-operation in Europe would be going in the same
general period of time.
- While considering it inappropriate to establish formal and
specific links, these Ministers reaffirmed their view that
progress in each set of the different negotiations would have a
favorable effect on the others. None of them should be isolated
from the general nature of the relations prevailing between the
states concerned.
- These Ministers took note of a report on guidelines for the
conduct of the exploratory talks on Mutual and Balanced Force
Reductions by the Allied countries involved, as well as of the
work carried out in preparation for eventual negotiations. The
Council in Permanent Session will continue consultations on all
questions of objectives, policy and strategy pursued by Allied
countries in these talks.
- Recalling the Declaration of the Council in Rome in May
1970, these Ministers confirmed their position that Mutual and
Balanced Force Reductions in Central Europe should not operate
to the military disadvantage of any side and should enhance
stability and security in Europe as a whole. Their position is
based on the conviction that the security of the Alliance is
indivisible and that reductions in Central Europe should not
diminish security in other areas.
- Ministers expressed the hope that the SALT TWO negotiations
between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics would achieve success. They considered that there
should be renewed efforts in all fields of disarmament and arms
control.
- Ministers agreed that on all these questions the close and
regular consultations which they have held so far and which
have proved their value would continue.
- Ministers took note of a new report on the situation in the
Mediterranean prepared on their instructions by the Council in
Permanent Session. Continuing instability in this region, which
could endanger the security of the member countries, remains a
cause for concern. Ministers instructed the Council in
Permanent Session to continue keeping a close watch on
developments and to report to them at their next meeting.
- Ministers noted the progress achieved by the CCMS
especially in such areas as combating oil pollution of the
seas, disaster assistance, safety of motor vehicles, health
care, waster water treatment, urban transportation, and also
the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding by six
member nations on low-pollution automobile engine development.
- Ministers took note of the Report by the Conference of
National Armaments Directors and of the views expressed on this
paper by the Defence Ministers. Like the Defence Ministers,
they welcomed the efforts being made to reduce duplication and
waste of resources in the development and production of
armaments. They instructed the Council in Permanent Session to
make the necessary arrangements regarding the action to be
taken on it and invited Armaments Directors to make suggestions
for more effective cooperation.
- Ministers of the countries participating in NATO's
integrated defence program met as the Defence Planning
Committee and reviewed the military situation in the NATO area.
They noted with concern that despite the political developments
described above, the Soviet Union and her Allies seem
determined to maintain and indeed increase their military
capability which in both scale and nature appears to be greatly
in excess of that required for purely defensive purposes; and
that they continue to devote immense resources to the
improvement and modernization of their land, air and naval
forces confronting NATO. These Ministers stressed that NATO's
requirements for defence are related directly to the reality of
the military capabilities possessed by the Warsaw Pact.
- These Ministers again gave attention to the growing Soviet
maritime capability and in particular to the increase of Soviet
naval activities in the Atlantic and Mediterranean which has
taken place in recent years. They also considered the political
and military implications of these activities and the measures
being taken to counter them.
- These Ministers emphasized the close relationship between
the collective defence policy of NATO on the one hand and
actual or potential developments in the international field on
the other. They agreed that any unilateral reduction of effort
on the part of the Alliance would reduce the credibility of
realistic deterrence and erode the stable balance of forces
without which no satisfactory security arrangements can be
negotiated. It was agreed that negotiations, in order to be
successful, must proceed from a position of effective
partnership and strength.
- Accordingly these Ministers again endorsed the principle
that the overall military capability of NATO should not be
reduced except as part of a pattern of mutual force reductions
balanced in scope and timing. In this context, they welcomed
the reaffirmation by the United States that, given a similar
approach by other countries of the Alliance, the United States
would maintain and improve its forces in Europe and not reduce
them unless there is reciprocal action by the other side.
- In the light of the considerations outlined earlier, these
Ministers took note of the force commitment undertaken by each
member nation for the year 1973, and adopted a five-year NATO
Force Plan for the years 1973-1977. In doing so they emphasized
the need to enhance the quality and effectiveness of national
force contributions within the context of the total force
concept, particularly through the implementation of the
improvements recommended in the special report on Alliance
Defence Problems for the 1970s. They reviewed progress reported
to date, and identified those areas in which such improvements
are still most urgently required. In this connection they
acknowledged the need to allocate more resources for the
modernization and re-equipment of NATO forces.
- These Ministers received from the Chairman of the Eurogroup
an account of the Group's continuing work in order to reinforce
the collective contribution of its members to Alliance defence.
They welcomed progress made, particularly towards fuller
co-operation in equipment procurement.
- These Ministers, recognizing the success of the NATO Common
Infrastructure Program in providing physical facilities
fundamental to the Alliance's deterrent and defensive
effectiveness, agreed to the continuation of the Infrastructure
Program during 1975-1979 as an essential element of the NATO
defence effort.
- Finally these Ministers noted with approval that the NATO
Air Defence Ground Environment project (NADGE) would be
virtually completed by the end of this year thus providing
NATO, for the first time, with a fully integrated
semi-automatic air defence system stretching from North Norway
to the Eastern boundaries of Turkey.
- The Defence Ministers comprising the Nuclear Defence
Affairs Committee (Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Federal Republic
of Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal,
Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States) also met to
review the work of the Nuclear Planning Group during the past
year and its plans for future activity.
- The next meeting of the Defence Planning Committee at
Ministerial level will take place in Brussels on 7th June,
1973.
- The next Ministerial Session of the North Atlantic Council
will be held in Copenhagen on 14th and 15th June, 1973.
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