Meeting of the North Atlantic Cooperation Council in Defence Ministers Session NATO HQ Brussels 17th Dec 1996

Opening Statement by the Chairman

Introduction Good afternoon. It is a pleasure to welcome you to this meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Defence Ministers Session. I would like to extend a particular welcome to the Canadian Defence Minister, Mr. Young, the Greek Defence Minister Mr. Tsohadzopoulos, and the Turkish Defence Minister, Mr. Tayan, who are attending this ministerial meeting for the first time. The agenda before us today and tomorrow is a demanding one but also one of special importance. We will discuss the preparation for a NATO-led Stabilisation Force for Bosnia; the progress in adapting the Alliance's structures to the new opportunities and challenges of European security; our preparations for opening the Alliance to new members and our plans to enhance the Partnership for Peace. We will also review developments in the Alliance's efforts against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. And, of course, all of our deliberations, important in their own right, have acquired a greater urgency because of the Foreign Ministers' recommendation last week that a meeting of Alliance Heads of State and Government be held next July. In an important sense, therefore, our agenda is to start preparing for the Summit. Without further ado, we should begin...