Press Release (98)6 21 Jan. 1998

NATO-Russia statement on the 21 January 1998 Permanent Joint Council meeting at Ambassadorial level The sixth meeting of the NATO-Russia Permanent Joint Council (PJC) at Ambassadorial level took place on Wednesday, 21 January at NATO Headquarters. The representatives of NATO and Russia had an exchange of views on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, discussed NATO-Russia cooperation in SFOR. Ambassadors also reviewed the implementation of the Work Programme for the Permanent Joint Council for 1998, which had been approved at the Ministerial meeting of the PJC on 17 December 1997. They agreed on a schedule of political consultations leading up to the Spring Ministerials and decided to continue ongoing work at experts' level in the field of peacekeeping, civil-emergency planning, defence-related scientific and environmental issues and possible armaments-related cooperation as well as to hold expert level meetings regarding nuclear weapons issues, defence conversion and proliferation issues. NATO and Russia reviewed the progress on updating Russia's Individual Partnership Programme and were briefed about meetings of military representatives under the auspices of the PJC held last year. Building upon a joint NATO-Russia workshop on retraining of retired military officers held early December 1997 in Moscow, Ambassadors discussed further activities in this area which is part of the PJC Work Programme for 1998. The next meeting of the Permanent Joint Council is scheduled for 25 February.