Opening of the ministerial meeting of the NACC/ Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) Sintra, Portugal 30 May 1997

Intervention By Dr. Valdis Brikavs, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia

Mr. Chairman, Today we are bidding farewell to one Council and welcoming another. "Co-operation" becomes "Partnership". The NACC has served its purpose in building confidence. The new structures will nod doubt go further in addressing the mutual interests and needs of Partners and Allies. The EAPC will be flexible structure that will allow an individual political relationship with NATO to develop. It will also provide possibilities of joint approaches. Even more importantly, with respect to future NATO-led PfP operations in which the Partners are likely to participate, EAPC will offer political guidance and oversight. Thus we are looking forward to work with Allies on elaboration of the political-military framework for NATO-led PfP operations. As a clearly identifiable part of the EAPC, enhanced PfP will in turn provide better opportunities for practical preparation and readiness for such operations. Some of the wide-reaching innovations agreed by the Senior Level Group are especially welcome on our part. We are looking forward to the establishment of the PfP Staff Elements in NATO headquarters on all levels. We will be interested in participation with our officers in an international function in the NATO HQ in our region. As the experience of participation in the HQ SFOR has shown, our officers can do the same work that the Alliance officers are doing. Participation in the CJFT work will also be beneficial to all since the Partner officers will bring in the unique perspective of likely non-NATO contributors. At the same time, we would encourage the reciprocity of such arrangements. While our officers will be coming to the NATO headquarters, NATO officers should also come to our country. They would provide us with the much-needed on-the-spot advice on the PfP, PARP and other issues. It would also contribute to the better mutual awareness and interaction. We have noted the discussion that the SLG had on the NATO/PfP offices in the Partner countries, and hope that this discussion is not yet finished. The information function is a necessary one, but there are more things that such offices could do without creating unnecessary confusion in the functional structure of the Alliance. We have advocated the increasing conduct of PfP activities in Partner countries, and we find that the Senior Level Groups proposals go in that direction. The expansion of scope of exercises and the extension of the Security Investment programme to PfP projects will strengthen such approach which will benefit all. Mr. Chairman, The EAPC, combined with the enhanced PfP, could establish a good basis for the preparation and implementation of joint PfP operations. But our objectives reach beyond non-article 5 missions. For us, co-operation with NATO means preparing for membership in the Alliance. In the same way, the position of candidate countries is different from that of non-candidates. Candidate countries have taken recognisable steps to prepare for membership. We believe that NATO should structure the enlargement process by involving all candidate countries. These countries need to be given the opportunity to consult with the Alliance on the issues relating to their membership, irrespective of whether they will be invited to join this July or later. But we realise that this goal goes beyond the scope of the EAPC. Therefore, EAPC and enhanced PfP should be complemented by an enlargement consultation process between the candidate countries and the Allies. The consultations should provide for a regular assessment of the efforts carried out by the applicant partners and provide guidelines for the applicants' preparations for NATO membership. The format for such consultations could vary. It could be by way of 16+1. It could not only upon previous Individual Dialogues, but also on the analysis of factors relevant to enlargement which has been conducted by NATO. The July Summit Declaration should make it clear that first new NATO members will not be the last, that all eligible candidate countries will be invited to join the Alliance and that the Alliance has a very strong interest in the security of these countries, and will help them prepare to join. The Allies should decide on a mode for regular review of the enlargement process so as to reach the stage of being able to issue further invitations. Provision should be made for individual assessments identifying areas in which additional efforts are required in order to fully meet membership requirements. The continuity of the enlargement process must be made visible. The Alliance's organisational structure should reflect the tasks that stand before it. This continuity must be underlined in the upcoming Madrid Summit. The Alliance should se the basis for the next invitations to come either before or at the time when the first invited countries take their seats around the NATO table. Mr. Chairman, In 1991, the year when the NACC was established, we were able to test the CSCE principle of a country's right to self-determination. We were fortunate to succeed. Today, the challenge is to test another principle to which all OSCE countries have agreed - every country's freedom to choose its own security arrangements. Our choice is clear. We hope that the Alliance in Madrid will seize the opportunity for another success. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.