Press Release (2002)060 14 May 2002

Joint Press Statement by the NATO Secretary General and the EU Presidency NATO-EU Ministerial Meeting The Foreign Ministers of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and of the European Union met in Reykjavik today to discuss issues of common concern related to European security. They reaffirmed their commitment to achieve a close and transparent NATO-EU relationship. Reviewing the situation in the Western Balkans, Ministers expressed their satisfaction with the efficient cooperation achieved, based on prevention, stabilisation and complementarity. In the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (1), after having avoided a serious crisis last year, NATO and EU are working closely together on the consolidation of the peace process in the perspective of the upcoming elections next September. Ministers noted the conclusions of the European Council in Barcelona stating the EU's availability to take responsibility, under the appropriate conditions and at the request of its government, for an operation in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (1) to follow that currently undertaken by NATO. Concerning Bosnia and Herzegovina, NATO welcomed the future deployment of the EU Police Mission and SFOR is ready to provide full support to this mission. This practical cooperation should provide impetus to the institutionalisation of the NATO-EU relationship. Regarding the arrangements for NATO support to EU-led operations, Ministers noted progress made on several issues but that further work remained to be done, in accordance with the decisions taken at the 1999 NATO Washington Summit and subsequent Ministerial meetings, and at the European Council in Nice in 2000. They reiterated their determination to consolidate this progress and to finalise all the various aspects of the NATO-EU relationship. Ministers reaffirmed that cooperation between NATO and the European Union was important to the fight against terrorism, and hoped useful consultations on several questions in this regard between NATO and the EU would continue. All Ministers of NATO and the EU rededicated themselves to continuing efforts to combat terrorism, collectively and nationally. Turkey recognises the Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name.