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

Statement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, Mrs. Lena Hjelm-Wallen

Mr. Secretary General, Let me begin by commending you personally for your role in reaching agreement on the NATO Russia Founding Act. The establishment of a Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and, in parallel with that, a framework for cooperation between NATO and Russia, has taken us closer to the objective of a security order for all of Europe and North America. Both the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and the Permanent Joint Council will deal with issues related to European security in general, and with matters of military crisis management in particular. They should do so in parallel. The vital role of the enlarged NATO makes it imperative that all its partners have an equal say on issues affecting their security. The first important task of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council will be to set up a framework that will permit all troop contributors to participate in planning and decision making related to operations in which they take part. Governments can not be expected to put their soldiers' life at risk unless they have a say in the conduct and political oversight of the operation. Much is said about regional cooperation in the report of PfP enhancement. I welcome that. Sweden is taking a number of steps to invigorate PfP cooperation in the Baltic Sea region. We are now opening a PfP Regional Training Centre. Sweden welcomes NATO and Partner involvement in the activities of the Centre. We shall build on our experience in Bosnia and use the centre to bolster the ability of countries in the region to participate in advance PfP exercises and operations. Exercises in other countries in the region will have our support. Sweden will continue to initiate both peace support exercises with a regional dimension and other activities in the spirit of PfP like the mine clearance operation being conducted this month in Latvian and, later this summer, in Lithuanian territorial waters. We welcome the involvement of Russia in two of the three PfP exercises hosted by Sweden this year. But the answer to all problems can not be regional in nature. It will not do to expect us and our neighbours to resolve alone problems that are not of our making. And regional arrangements must not have the effect, intended or unintended, of restricting the freedom of action of the countries concerned. This freedom of action is essential to Sweden, which will safeguard its right to choose its security arrangements and to shape its connection to the political, and military cooperation emerging in Europe. Mr. Chairman, Important steps have been taken towards a truly inclusive European security order. But much remains to be done. As we move forward, we expect NATO to continue to be mindful of fundamental European values and commitments, agreed upon by us all. Only a credible strategy to uphold the open-ended nature of the enlargement process will meet that expectation. In the end, it is only by recognizing each country's right to its own security identity, and the indivisibility of security, that we can move towards common security for the whole of Europe. As a participant in this Council - subject, on our part, to normal parliamentary procedures - and in the enhanced Partnership for Peace, Sweden will do what it can to bring us closer to this objective.