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

Statement by Mr. Jaakko Blomberg, Under-Secretary of State, MFA of Finland

"Future cooperation with Partners in the framework of an enhanced PfP and Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council The evolution since the end of the Cold War has demonstrated that security in Europe is indivisible and that it can only be based on cooperation. The OSCE has a central role in all dimensions of security. It is complemented, not reduced in significance, by the New Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and the enhanced Partnership for Peace. This meeting and the forthcoming Summit in Madrid should consolidate security of all states in the European and Transatlantic area. The ongoing reform of NATO is of great significance. The Founding Act on NATO-Russia relations and the joint council are a historical achievement, demonstrating political will to overcome the vestiges of old confrontation and present differences of opinion. The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and the enhanced Partnership for Peace will contribute to our joint efforts to build a lasting and fully comprehensive security structure. The new structures are based on the inherent right of each state to choose or change its security arrangements. No state will strengthen its security at the expenses of others. No region will be regarded as anybody's sphere of influence. Finland sees these OSCE principles as main pillars on which security and cooperation in Europe must be built. The security and stability of Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea region are naturally of great interest to us. In terms of security and stability the entire region is an integral part of Europe. The three Baltic states, in particular, should be integrated with the European structures. Such development is a responsibility of the whole Euro-Atlantic Community. The European Union and NATO play key roles, including through their enlargement. We believe that the EAPC and the enhanced Partnership can be useful in order to further these goals. Finland will be member of the EAPC. We appreciate the way the Council was set up in close consultation with the Partners. The same transparency, joined effort and co-influence should guide the work of the Council when it begins its work. We believe that the EAPC can and must be turned into a body for genuine exchange of information, consultation and, where appropriate, decision-making. We have been pleased to note that the parties of the NATO-Russia Council have declared that the Council will work on the basis of transparency. Issues of general significance to European security should be brought to the EAPC. Finland for its part will make every effort to fully utilise the possibilities offered by the EAPC and we hope that other Partners will do likewise. Also the other item on the agenda, Regional Security and Cooperation in the light of SFOR experience in Bosnia-Herzegovina, is related to the EAPC and PfP. It concerns us all. Building of peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina in a slow process. We are still in the beginning of the consolidation period. Even if progress in the implementation of the Dayton Agreement has been slow some positive results have been achieved. Especially the military part of the implementation has been a success. There are still many issues to be solved in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Among the problems that will slow down the peaceful nation-building are 1) the freedom of movement, 2) the refugees and displaced persons returning to their homes, 3) the effectiveness of the clearance of the minefields and obstacles, 4) the war criminals, 5) controlling the security in the conflict area, and 6) planning and execution of the principal elections in the fall of 1997. These problems demand a long-term international attention, including military, political and civil presence. In addition, Brcko's situation will demand a special attention from SFOR until the end of its mandate, and even beyond it. A secure framework must be created for civilian implementation of the Dayton agreement. We should make plans for the future long-term presence early enough. The current uncertainty concerning the continuity of international presence is already new creating tensions in the region. Nation-building in the civilian sector could well be one of the tasks of peace-keeping forces in the future. Activities such as road construction, repairing and building of schools and assistance to the local population in various forms could be included in such future tasks. Dayton agreement is the only plausible framework for actions of the international community in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the coming years. Efforts must be focused on the civilian side of the implementation. This requires a minimum level of military presence. Otherwise we might put the results achieved so far at risk. The Balkans are a test field for peacekeeping operations. The UNPREDEP operation in the FYROM has played an important role in regional security by preventing the conflict in the former Yugoslavia from spreading towards the southern areas of the Balkans. As long as the tension and instability in the neighbouring countries remain, the UN Security Council should maintain UNPREDEP, including its military components, as a guarantor of peace and security in the region.