Meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Permanent Session NATO Headquarters, Brussels, 24 Nov. 1994

Decisions of the North Atlantic Council in Permanent Session The Council: condemns the recent attacks on the UN safe area of Bihac by Bosnian Serb and Krajinan Serb forces; calls for an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of these forces; and supports the ongoing UN negotiating efforts to this end; supports ongoing diplomatic efforts to create an effective stabilization in and around Bihac, and would be ready to consider how to assist the United Nations in implementing these objectives once they have been agreed; strongly supports diplomatic approaches to the parties by the Contact Group, which reflect the Alliance's firm commitment to a negotiated settlement; recalls its decision of 22nd April 1994 that if any Bosnian Serb attacks involving heavy weapons were carried out on UN designated safe areas, including Bihac, these weapons and other Bosnian Serb military assets, as well as their direct and essential support facilities, including but not limited to fuel installations and munition sites, would be subject to NATO air strikes, in accordance with the procedural arrangements worked out between NATO and UNPROFOR following the Council decisions of 2nd and 9th August 1993; recalls also its decision of l9th November 1994 authorising air strikes in response to attacks against or which threaten the UN safe areas in Bosnia-Herzegovina launched from the UN protected areas in Croatia; decides that, in addition, attacks on the safe areas from within Bosnia involving heavy weapons of forces other than Bosnian Serbs will also be subject to NATO air strikes, in accordance with the existing arrangements for coordination with UNPROFOR; recalls its decision of 22nd April 1994 concerning the designation of military exclusion zones around UN safe areas, including Bihac; and declares its readiness to use NATO air power in support of that decision should the NATO and UNPROFOR commanders on the ground designate any further exclusion zones pursuant to it; declares its readiness to carry out air strikes in pursuit of these decisions, subject to agreement with UNPROFOR; decides that NATO air power may be used, under the provisions of United Nations Security Council Resolution 958, against aircraft flying in Croatian air space which have been engaged in attacks on or which threaten UN safe areas, subject to making arrangements with the Croatian authorities; tasks the NATO Military Authorities (NMAs) to advise on the feasibility and advisability of establishing a no-fly zone in the UN protected areas of Croatia; tasks the NMAs to report as soon as possible on the means by which the Alliance with its member states can contribute to UNPROFOR in the performance of its mission.