Press Communiqué M-DM/CP- 1(95)59 Meeting of NATO Defence Ministers with Defence Ministers of Co-operation Partner Nations 9th June 1995

Chairman's Summary The Defence Ministers and Representatives of NATO Allies and Co-operation Partner nations met in Brussels today. Austria and Malta, the newest members of Partnership for Peace attended for the first time. The Ministers exchanged views on European security issues, particularly on the crisis in the former Yugoslavia. They condemned the widespread escalation of violence and the hostile acts against peacekeeping forces by the Bosnian Serbs. Ministers called for a political solution to the crisis, facilitated by the continued presence of UN forces. The Ministers expressed satisfaction at the results of the PfP Planning and Review Process, launched late last year and offered on an optional basis to all Partners. Fourteen Partners chose to take part in the first cycle, which ended last month with the formal agreement of a Consolidated Report by NATO Allies and the Partners participating in the Process. The Planning and Review Process provides an important means to enhance interoperability between Partners and Allies in the areas of peacekeeping, humanitarian missions, and search and rescue. It also contributes to transparency in defence planning. The Ministers reviewed the significant progress made in developing and implementing PfP since the last meeting of Defence Ministers in this format. They noted a report by the NACC Ad Hoc Group on Peacekeeping, which has been published separately. They also noted a report of the Chairman of the Political Military Steering Committee on Partnership for Peace together with other reports concerning the 1995 Partnership Work Programme for defence-related and military activities. They discussed the expanding scope of PfP co-operation in areas such as civil emergency planning, defence budgeting, and industrial co-operation, which reflect a greater involvement of senior and specialised NATO committees in PfP activities. They also noted the significant expansion of PfP military exercises, including the opening of certain phases of NATO exercises for Partner participation and recent agreement on PfP funding guidelines and a PfP Status of Forces Agreement.