Press Communiqué M-DPC/NPG- 2(95)117 29 Nov. 1995

Final Communiqué The Defence Planning Committee and the Nuclear Planning Group of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation met in Ministerial sessions in Brussels on 29th November. The challenges facing the Alliance at present are among the most complex in its long history. We have assumed new tasks and commitments over the last five years and have decisively moved forward in the process of adjusting our force plans and structures to respond to the demands of the new security environment while ensuring the maintenance of NATO's principal role, the collective defence of its members. The Alliance remains the cornerstone of security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area. We are determined to ensure that it is able to discharge the full range of its responsibilities. Our strength and cohesion are sustained by shared principles and convictions. We reaffirm that the engagement of the North American Allies in European security through the Alliance -- the trans-Atlantic link -- is indispensable. We also continue to support initiatives for strengthening the European pillar of our Alliance. The comprehensive approach to security comprising defence, dialogue, and co-operation set out in the Strategic Concept and developed further in the Summit Declaration of January 1994 has proved its validity and continues to provide broad guidance to the Alliance. As Defence Ministers, we are keenly aware that the ability of the Alliance to meet both its traditional purpose of collective defence and its new missions requires the continued, careful maintenance of our collective defence arrangements, including the integrated military structure. The cessation of hostilities in Bosnia-Herzegovina that followed the successful conclusion of NATO's Operation DELIBERATE FORCE gave new impetus to diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. We applaud the skill and perseverance of all the negotiators at Dayton, Ohio, and greatly welcome the initialling of the peace agreement. We look forward to the London Peace Implementation Conference, the signing of the Dayton agreement at the Paris Conference, and the Bonn Conference on Arms Control Issues. The Alliance stands ready to implement the military aspects of a peace agreement under the authority of the UN Security Council. We received a briefing by SACEUR on the planning for a NATO-led Implementation Force (IFOR) and his contacts with potential non-NATO troop contributors. We expressed satisfaction with the military arrangements which have been developed to allow for Russian participation in IFOR within a unified command. We paid tribute to the courage and skill of the NATO and UN forces that have taken part in operations in the Former Yugoslavia.

Together with the WEU, NATO is adapting Operation SHARP GUARD in accordance with the recent UN Security Council resolutions suspending economic sanctions and phasing out the arms embargo subject to a number of conditions. We commend the NATO and WEU forces that have conducted maritime embargo operations for the last three years. The steady pressure exerted by NATO and WEU maritime operations was an important factor underpinning the success of the peace negotiations. We welcomed the positive reaction of interested Partners to the Alliance's study on how NATO will enlarge, the principles guiding this process, and the implications of membership. In this context, we noted that many Partners expressed a desire to join the Alliance's integrated military structure. We look forward to continued progress in the enlargement process based on the Study, including further consideration of the issues raised by it, an intensified dialogue with interested Partners and enhancements to Partnership for Peace (PfP) that also help prepare Partners for membership. The eventual accession of new members to the Alliance is a matter for all member Governments in accordance with Article 10 of the Washington Treaty. We, as Defence Ministers, have a special interest in the implications for the integrated military structure and defence planning and an obligation to ensure NATO's ability to undertake both its core functions and new missions. We invited Permanent Representatives to ensure that these implications continue to be taken fully into account in further work on enlargement. We reaffirmed our intent to strengthen further PfP as a permanent feature of the developing European security architecture that links NATO to all Partners. We took note of developments in the PfP since our last meeting. We are gratified by the steady increase in the variety and depth of co-operative activities which are taking place or are planned. We reaffirmed the importance of resource support for PfP from both Partners and Allies. We noted the detailed work in train under the Partnership Planning and Review Process. The specific interoperability objectives which have been agreed for each of the countries that have chosen to participate in the Process will help to ensure that their forces can operate effectively with those of the Alliance and with one another in the kinds of operations envisaged under the Partnership. In the light of the importance of the Process in realising the purposes of PfP, we strongly endorsed the work to broaden and deepen it. We encourage other Partners to join. We applauded the extensive military-to-military and broader defence-related co-operation programmes between Allies and Partners reflected in the 1996 Partnership Work Programme. We discussed developments in the Alliance's relationship with Russia. It is a mark of the progress that has already been made that yesterday NATO Defence Ministers met with Russian Defence Minister Grachev to discuss Russian involvement in IFOR. We welcomed the agreement in principle reached between Secretary Perry and Minister Grachev on a political consultative mechanism on IFOR operations. We look forward to its being confirmed in a formal agreement between Russia and the Alliance.

Russia has an important contribution to make to European security and stability. A comprehensive European security architecture based on broad and genuine co-operation requires the constructive participation of Russia in a manner consistent with its weight and importance. We look forward to an early response by Russia to the Alliance's proposals emerging from Noordwijk for an enhanced dialogue with Russia and for a political framework for NATO-Russia relations which would elaborate the basic principles for our security co-operation, and the development of permanent ways of ensuring consultations and co-operation on issues of common interest. We look forward to the further development of active NATO-Russia partnership, on the basis of agreements already reached, both outside and within the PfP. We reiterate the importance we attach to the full implementation, continued integrity and future effectiveness of the CFE Treaty, which we regard as a cornerstone of European security. However, we note with concern all cases of failure by States Parties to fulfil their Treaty obligations, among them the problem of Russia's flank obligations. We welcome the 17th November Decision by all 30 CFE States Parties at the Joint Consultative Group, reaffirming their commitment to fulfilling their obligations under CFE. We urge all CFE States Parties to comply fully as soon as possible in an open-minded, constructive and responsible spirit. This would help to ensure a firm basis for the successful review of the operation of the Treaty at the Review Conference next year. Noting the desire to develop further the relationship with all the newly independent states, we reiterated Ukraine's importance and role for European security and stability. We noted with satisfaction acceptance of an agreed NATO-Ukraine Individual Partnership Programme and Ukraine's adoption of a set of interoperability objectives within the Partnership Planning and Review Process. We look forward to the development of an enhanced relationship between the Alliance and Ukraine, on the basis of NATO-Ukraine discussions of 14th September, as a reflection of the particular importance we attach to our relations with Ukraine. We continue to attach great importance to stability in the Mediterranean region, and welcome the further development of the dialogue with some Mediterranean countries (Egypt, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia and Israel), which includes periodical political discussions and a specific programme of activities. We also welcome the extension of the dialogue to Jordan. We reviewed the efforts under way towards the adaptation of the Alliance's structures and procedures to the security challenges we face. We noted in this context progress achieved in the development of the Combined Joint Task Force concept. CJTFs will permit the Alliance to carry out its missions more flexibly and efficiently, including with the participation of non-NATO nations. They could also be used to support operations under the auspices of WEU in accordance with the principle of separable but not separate military capabilities. We reiterated our interest in seeing that the development of the concept should be completed as soon as possible to the full satisfaction of all Allies. We noted the work in progress on the Military Committee's Long Term Study on the future validity and affordability of NATO's military structures and expressed support and encouragement for other efforts aimed at adapting the Alliance's structures and procedures.

We also reaffirmed our support for strengthening the European pillar of the Alliance through the Western European Union and expressed our continued support for the development of the emerging European Security and Defence Identity. In this context we welcome the dialogue that has been established between both organisations and the progress achieved in developing WEU operational capabilities. We noted with satisfaction the Alliance work on the defence implications of the proliferation of nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) weapons and their delivery means, and endorsed the recommendations of the Senior Defence Group on Proliferation (DGP), including on needed military capabilities. These military capabilities should support NATO's central objectives for dealing with proliferation: prevent proliferation from occurring or reverse it through diplomatic means, deter use, and protect NATO territory, populations and forces from NBC attacks. Prevention of proliferation remains our primary aim, but we noted that NBC proliferation poses a direct military risk to the Alliance and must be taken into account to maintain NATO's ability to safeguard the security of its member states. Alliance military preparedness to deal with this risk is an important aspect of NATO's adaptation to the new security environment. We agreed that an appropriate mix of conventional response capabilities and passive and active defences, coupled with effective intelligence and surveillance means, would complement Alliance nuclear forces and would reinforce the Alliance's overall deterrence posture against threats posed by proliferation. Collective defence planning remains fundamental to Alliance cohesion and to ensure that NATO can fulfil all its missions. In accordance with our regular procedures we reviewed national defence plans for 1996-2000 and beyond and adopted a five-year force plan. Substantial progress continues to be made in developing flexible, mobile and increasingly multinational forces. We welcomed in this context the establishment by Germany and the Netherlands of a joint Army Corps; the plans of the Netherlands and Belgium to integrate their naval operations headquarters and to establish a deployable air task force; and the assignment to NATO this year of German forces in the new Federal Constituent States. As the Alliance continues to adapt its force structure to changing requirements, we emphasized the importance of adequate investment to keep the leaner Alliance force structure up to date. We reiterated the need for Alliance nations to stabilise their defence budgets and give appropriate priority to investment plans. We also attached importance to continuing work to improve mobility, command and control, sustainability and support for reaction forces. We see multinational task sharing as a suitable option to achieve these objectives. The ability of the Alliance to fulfil its roles of collective defence and support for peacekeeping operations and other new missions will be diminished if appropriate levels of support are not provided.

We noted the establishment of EUROFOR and EUROMARFOR by Italy, Portugal, Spain and France and look forward to the early definition of the relationship of these forces to NATO. We noted as well the establishment of the Franco-British Euro Air Group, as well as Luxembourg's decision to participate in the European Corps. We welcomed the prospect of all these capabilities becoming available to the Alliance as well as the WEU, without detriment to the existing NATO commitments of participating nations, and have directed that they should be taken fully into account in developing Alliance planning. Armaments co-operation in NATO is conducted under the North Atlantic Council, but as Defence Ministers we obviously have a special interest in this important area of our collective security. We therefore noted with interest a report of the Conference of National Armaments Directors on an Alliance Ground Surveillance Capability. We agreed that the Alliance should pursue work on a minimum essential NATO-owned and operated core capability supplemented by interoperable national assets. We reaffirmed that Alliance nuclear forces continue to play a unique and essential role in the Alliance's strategy of war prevention, while recognizing that NATO has been able to reduce its reliance on them in the new security environment. The supreme guarantee of the security of the Allies is provided by the strategic nuclear forces of the Alliance. In addition, Alliance solidarity, common commitment and strategic unity are demonstrated through the current basing of deployable sub-strategic forces in Europe. In reviewing NATO's nuclear posture we received with appreciation a presentation by the United States on the status of US nuclear forces, including elimination of delivery systems under START I, prospects for Russian and United States ratification of START II, and plans to assure reliable nuclear forces at the highest standards of safety and security. Following our discussion at the last NPG meeting, we were briefed by the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe on the status of NATO's sub-strategic forces, including plans to adapt Dual-Capable Aircraft readiness in line with the current security environment and the steps being taken to integrate the sub-strategic capability of the United Kingdom's Trident submarines. We noted with satisfaction the continued successful implementation of the START I Treaty and expressed our continued support for early ratification and entry into force of START II. We also expressed our support for an early agreement on a universal and verifiable zero-yield comprehensive nuclear test ban as an important step in strengthening global norms against proliferation of nuclear weapons and in constraining the development of advanced nuclear weapons by proliferant states. We reiterated our support for the assistance provided by several NATO countries to a number of partner countries in weapons dismantlement and related areas, including the safety and security of nuclear material. The Alliance continues to be the linchpin of European security. It retains its central importance because of its shared political principles, its military flexibility and its vision of co-operative security and partnership across Europe. We are determined to preserve its vitality and cohesion while completing its adaptation to meet the challenges of the changing security environment.