Secretary General's Opening Remarks to the NAC,
Noordwijk, May 30th, 1995


The decision of our Heads of State and Governments at the
NATO Summit in January 1994 set out the Alliance's agenda
for the years ahead. It marked another step in NATO's
adaption to the new strategic environment and in defining
its mission of contributing to the development of a new
Euro-Atlantic security architecture.
The Alliance is firmly on course in the implementation of
this long-range strategic agenda, which reaffirms the
commitment of our London Summit five years ago: to become
an agent of change, and to achieve security not only for
our member states but also to project stability for the
benefit of the entire Euro-Atlantic area.

However, in the first instance we meet today to consult on
a more immediate challenge to our vision of a new security
order, and that is the worsening situation in former
Yugoslavia. We cannot allow the present situation to
continue. the Alliance condemns the outrageous behaviour of
the Bosnian Serbs. We condemn the killing and detention of
the UN peacekeepers and the unacceptable threats against
the lives of those held hostage. We condemn the barbaric
shelling of the UN safe areas, which has led to the
large-scale slaughter of innocent civilians. these outrage
must immediately be brought to an end.

Therefore, the Alliance is ready to support efforts towards
the reinforcement of UN Peace Forces in former Yugoslavia,
with the aim of reducing their vulnerability and
strengthening their ability to perform their essential
mission. We also stand by our commitment to protect the
Bosnian Safe Areas. Finally, the Alliance will continue to
support the efforts of the international community to
achieve a negotiated solution to the conflict. We look
forward in particular to a briefing this morning on the
latest proposals of the Contact Group, and to
examining ways in which we can underpin these proposals.

We will be briefed on contingency planning for the possible
withdrawal of UN forces, in total or in part. But
withdrawal is a last resort. The continued presence of UN
Peace Forces, with their safety assured and a strengthened
ability to carry out their mandate, remains of vital
importance.
Indeed, we believe that the international community cannot
afford to succumb to intimidation and blackmail. We must
preserve in the task of containing this conflict and
bringing it to an end through diplomatic means.

Today, we will also discuss the Partnership for Peace,
whose success has far exceeded even most optimistic
predictions.
In a scant year-and-a-half since its launching, twenty-six
Partners have joined the Allies in a venture that is
already beginning to transform the security relationships
in the Euro-Atlantic area.
It is perhaps the most extensive and far-reaching programme
of security cooperation ever envisaged. In our meeting
today we will examine ways of further developing this
programme and, I hope address the need to provide adequate
resources so that it can indeed realise its great
potential.

We will also review progress in our internal study on NATO
enlargement. Extending Alliance membership to other
European countries is part and parcel of our goal to build
a new Europe, based not on spheres of influence but on the
principles of inclusion, integration and cooperation. As
for the study itself, we are well on course to completing
it on the schedule that we set ourselves last December, and
presenting our conclusions to all interested partners
before NATO Ministers meet again in Brussels this autumn.

Nos discussions d'aujourd'hui porteront egalement sur nos
relations futures avec la Russie. Le nouvel ordre de
securite europeen fonde sur la cooperation, doit etre
edifie avec la Russie, et non contre elle. Nous considerons
que, de par son poids et sa taille, la Russie a
d'importantes contributions a apporter a la stabilite et a
la securite europeennes. Des relations de cooperation
constructives reposant sur le respect et l'interet mutuels
et sur l'amitie entre les Allies et la Russie sont un
element cle de la securite et de stabilite en Europe. Mais
il va de soi que l'Alliance gardera toute son autonomie de
decision, en refusant tout droit de regard ou de veto. 

La Russie a signe l'an dernier le Document cadre du
Partenariat pour la paix et a souscrit un programme
supplementaire prevoyant le developpement du dialogue et de
la cooperation avec l'Alliance. Hier, M. Kozyrev m'a
personnellemt confirme que la Russie a l'intention de
donner effet demain aux deux documents que nous avons
elabores en commun depuis pour mettre en oeuvre notre
cooperation. Cette evolution positive nous permet d'aller
de l'avant dans des relations qui, nous l'esperons, iront
en s'approfondissant et en s'intensifiant dans les annees a
venir, pour le plus grand bien de tous les Etats de la zone
euro-atlantique.

Les relations de l'OTAN avec l'Union de l'Europe
occidentale constitueront egalement un point important a
notre ordre du jour.
Nous progressons dans le sens d'une relation de travail
solide entre nos deux organisations, ce qui nous permettra
de poursuivre nos activites sur une base de
complementarite, de transparance et de coordination. Mais
nous devons aller plus loin, et nous y attacher sans
tarder. Cela est particulierement vrai pour ce qui est du
concept de groupe de forces interarmees multinationales,
pour lequel des progres s'imposent.

Mesdames et Messieurs, notre reunion d'aujourd'hui est le
reflet de notre determination a progresser sans flechir
vers l'objectif qui est le notre a tous: un ordre de paix
euro-atlantique marque du sceau de la cooperation, une
Europe entiere et libre.