Press Release M-EAPC-2 (2000)116 6 Dec. 2000

Chairman's summary of the meeting of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council in Defence Ministers Session The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) Defence Ministers met today in Brussels. Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General to the Balkans, Mr. Carl Bildt addressed the Ministers and provided his views on recent developments in the Balkans and the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Joseph Ralston, provided a military update on the KFOR and SFOR operations. Ministers welcomed the democratic changes in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as a positive step towards enhancing security and stability in the region. They welcomed the admittance of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to international organisations and noted the importance of seeking the cooperation of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on issues related to the full implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords and UNSC Resolution 1244. Ministers reviewed the ongoing NATO-led peacekeeping missions in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo and reaffirmed the need for SFOR and KFOR to continue their missions within current troop levels. Ministers noted a report on the Alliance's South East Europe Initiative and welcomed the progress achieved. A South East Europe Security Co-operation Steering Group has been established and work on a Common Assessment Paper on Regional Security Challenges and Opportunities has begun. This project is designed to help harmonise security perceptions and strategies in the region. Ministers called for continued emphasis on South East Europe Initiative. Ministers noted the Political-Military Steering Committee Chairman's Report on overall developments in the Partnership for Peace and welcomed the progress in implementing the Training and Education Enhancement Programme. This programme includes a review of Military Tasks for Interoperability, which will provide training and education criteria for PfP military programmes and assessments. Effort is also underway to increase the scope and complexity of NATO/PfP exercises. Ministers took note of the results of the first annual conference of training and education institutions, including PfP Training Centres, held in November 2000 and ongoing work on distributed learning and simulation, based on a report of the NATO Modelling and Simulation Group. Ministers endorsed the Progress Report on the Implementation of the Operational Capabilities Concept (OCC). They welcomed the establishment of the OCC pool of forces and capabilities database within NATO's new operational planning system (TOPFAS) and the progress achieved in the development of the OCC Assessment and Feedback Programme. Initial assessments will be conducted during exercises COOPERATIVE CASUALTY BEAR 2001 and COOPERATIVE KEY 2001. Ministers called for continuing emphasis to be placed on the development of the OCC and looked forward to a progress report on the further implementation of the OCC in Spring 2001. Ministers expressed their appreciation for the results of the initial review of the implementation of the Political-Military Framework for NATO-led Operations (PMF), which resulted, inter alia, in regular meetings of KFOR and SFOR contributing nations at political and military levels. Provisions of the PMF will be further exercised in the upcoming Crisis Management Exercise (CMX 2001) in February 2001. The results of the next full review of PMF implementation are expected in early 2001 and will focus on measures to further increase Partner countries' involvement in political consultations and decision-making, operational planning and command arrangements of peace support operations in which they participate. Ministers noted a report on the role of the EAPC and PfP in conflict prevention and indicated that PfP's full potential in conflict prevention and crisis management should be explored, building on experience gained to date. They also welcomed the establishment of the PfP Trust Fund on anti-personnel landmines stockpiles destruction and the ongoing work on its first project in Albania involving seven nations. Ministers exchanged views on challenges and priorities in defence reform and emphasised the importance of pursuing vigorously their defence reform programmes. Biennial Planning and Review Process (PARP) Ministerial Guidance will be developed in preparation for the next meeting. Ministers noted that the new Survey of Overall PfP Interoperability now combines information relevant to Individual Partnership Programmes, PARP and the Membership Action Plan. Tailored Individual Partnership Programmes and PARP Partnership Goals directly contribute to addressing defence and military requirements for Partners involved in the Membership Action Plan. The next meeting of the EAPC Defence Ministers will take place in Brussels, in June 2001.