Press Release 2 Apr. 2004

Informal Meeting of Foreign Ministers, held at NATO Headquarters, Brussels, on 2 April 2004 News 02/04/2004 - NATO Ceremony to mark the accession to NATO Official texts 02/04/2004 - NATO Declaration on Terrorism - Issued at the Meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Foreign Ministers Session Following the Accession Ceremony to welcome Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia as NATO members, the Foreign Ministers and Representatives of NATO met informally at NATO Headquarters on 2 April. Ministers discussed matters of common interest and concern to the Alliance, with a view to the NATO Summit to be held in Istanbul on 28-29 June. In light of the tragic events in Madrid last month, Foreign Ministers discussed the strengthening of NATO’s contribution to the fight against terrorism and agreed on a declaration on terrorism which was issued following the meeting. Ministers also considered the situation in Kosovo in the aftermath of the recent upsurge in violence; took stock of NATO’s operations in Afghanistan; reviewed NATO’s relations with its Mediterranean Dialogue partners and the wider region; assessed NATO-EU relations, in particular the possible termination of SFOR by the end of the year and the establishment of an EU operation in Bosnia-Herzegovina under Berlin+ arrangements; and were updated on the situation in Iraq by Allies particularly concerned. Issues of mutual concern were discussed at the subsequent informal meeting of the NATO-Russia Council at the level of Foreign Ministers. Tel: Fax: +32 (0)2 707 50 41 +32 (0)2 707 50 57 B-1110 Brussels/Bruxelles http://www.nato.int press@hq.nato.int