NATO Headquarters Brussels Sept. 18, 1996

Opening Remarks by the Secretary General Bonjour Mesdames et Messieurs, Les élections en Bosnie-Herzégovine ont constitué un cap crucial dans l'application de l'Accord de Dayton. Nous l'avons franchi avec succès. L'organisation des élections n'a pas été aisée. La recette du succès a été la cooperation très étroite de l'IFOR avec le Haut Représentant, l'OSCE et la Force de Police Internationale. Depuis des mois, l'IFOR a préparé avec ces institutions les élections pour que les citoyens de la Bosnie puissent exercer leurs droits démocratiques de manière pacifique. Le Conseil de l'Atlantique Nord et moi-même sommes fiers du rôle de l'IFOR dans le soutien des élections et, en particulier, qu'elles ont eu lieu dans un environnement sûr, sans heurts majeurs ou explosion de violence. Les candidats élus samedi ont maintenant l'évidente et lourde responsabilité d'établir des institutions communes dans leur pays. Ces institutions doivent être mises en place aussitôt que possible afin que la Bosnie unifiée puisse avancer rapidement sur les voies de la reconstruction et d'une paix durable. Let me remind you now that IFOR is now three quarters through its one-year mandate. The mission of IFOR will continue to the very end of its mandate in December. Last June, in Berlin and Brussels, NATO Ministers agreed that IFOR would retain its overall capability until December. The North Atlantic Council has agreed to new command arrangements to allow for the phased withdrawal of Headquarters ARRC and Headquarters AFSOUTH from Bosnia and Herzegovina and their replacement by a headquarters based on LANDCENT. The purpose of this reorganization is to prepare for the execution of the last phase of IFOR s mission, the redeployment of IFOR forces following completion of their mission. All IFOR contributors have been closely associated with this planning. The North Atlantic Council has given today its authorization for the new Headquarters to be deployed, and we expect it to take command from the existing IFOR Headquarters by early November. In the months ahead, IFOR will have much to do. Its primary military mission goes on. While the trend of compliance by the parties with their military obligations under the Dayton Agreement remains positive, the experience of the last weeks and months shows that utmost vigilance by IFOR is still required. The elections will not alter the way IFOR is carrying out its mission -- firmly and fairly -- nor do they relieve the parties from fulfilling their obligations under the Peace Accord. We expect continued compliance and IFOR will enforce it if it is necessary. Beyond the tasks deriving from IFOR's primary mission, IFOR will further be fully engaged in assisting the High Representative, Mr. Bildt, and the civil international agencies in this new period. Mr. Bildt has requested IFOR support in the post-election period. Today, the North Atlantic Council gave a positive answer to his request. First, IFOR will support the OSCE in the preparation and conducting of the postponed municipal elections provided they are held before the end of IFOR s mandate. The details of course will be worked out in theatre but obviously both IFOR and the OSCE will want to take full advantage of the experience gained in preparing and conducting last week s elections. Second, IFOR will assist in the establishment of the common institutions created as a result of the 14th September elections. Let me, finally say a few words about the meeting of NATO Defence Ministers next week in Bergen, Norway. This will be, as you know, an informal meeting and therefore no decisions will be taken. I want to clarify that. Nonetheless, I expect that there will be substantive discussions on the key issues facing the Alliance nowadays. IFOR will of course be one of a number of subjects to be discussed. The Ministers are expected to address the overall political situation after the elections and the possible consequences for IFOR's tasks until the end of its mandate. They are also expected to consider planning for IFOR drawdown and the continuation of the peace process within the overall framework of the Dayton Peace Agreement after the end of IFOR's mandate on 20th December 1996. The discussion, as you can understand, will necessarily be preliminary because the outcome of the elections and the developing institutional framework for Bosnia next year will not by then be clear. Nor, I repeat, will any decision be taken at Bergen. Nonetheless, I look forward to an interesting exchange of views that should help the North Atlantic Council to guide IFOR to the completion of its mission and to consider security requirements in Bosnia after the end of the mandate. IFOR will also be one of the subjects discussed in the 16+1 meeting with the Russian Defence Minister, Mr. Rodionov, which we will hold on the second day of the Bergen meeting. Another topic for our meeting is the continuing work on the internal adaptation of the Alliance. Ministers will review the progress made in this area since the meeting in Berlin last June. In particular, I expect them to focus on the work on the future command structure following the progress made by the Military Committee which met at the level of Chiefs of Defence in Portugal and Spain last week. General Naumann will, I am certain, be happy to comment on this topic, if you so wish. Ministers will also discuss the external adaptation of the Alliance. They will review the work of the new Senior Level Group on the enhancement of the Partnership for Peace. The presence of Minister Rodionov will enable us to focus too on defence aspects of the NATO/Russia relations and on ways to enhance our cooperation both within and beyond the Partnership for Peace. So, all in all, I anticipate that Bergen will be a most useful meeting which will provide valuable guidance and, without any doubt, impetus to our work in the weeks ahead.