At the Opening Session of the North Atlantic Council, Brussels, 16 Dec. 1997

Address by the President-d'honneur, Niels Helveg Petersen, Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs (38Kb) Secretary General, Dear Colleagues Ladies and gentlemen, It is a great pleasure to welcome you to this meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Ministerial Session. It is my great privilege to introduce this session by expressing our sincere appreciation to the Secretary General and his staff for the dedication, competence, and promptness with which he and the Secretariat have been able to follow up on the momentous decisions of 1997. I am confident that this appreciation is shared by all colleagues here to day. The present day agenda of NATO is indeed extensive and wide-ranging. This confirms an expanded and ever more significant role of NATO in the security architecture of today and tomorrow. This is my tenth meeting in the NATO Council, since I took office in 1993. Much has changed since then. The recent track record of NATO is impressive. Please allow me to briefly summarize some of the main results and highlights: The decision on NATO-enlargement. The decision to extend invitations to Poland, The Czech Republic and Hungary will contribute to stability and security. For the whole of Europe. We all look forward to signing the accession protocols with the three new members later to day. Secondly, The open door policy. We have worked hard to support the notion of an open NATO and to give substance and credibility to this policy. The response to other applicants is not a "No" - it is "Not yet, but the door is kept open". The process of enlargement is evolutionary. The perspective of membership for applicants is kept alive for all European democracies, regardless of their geographic location. Thirdly, the e~tablishment and subsequent enhancement of the EAPC and PfP. This constitutes a mechanism for bringing countries closer to NATO, regardless of these countries' membership aspirations. The EAPC provides a framework, in which the enhanced PfP can develop. This is an essential element in our efforts to build co-operative structures, which do away with the old dividing lines of Europe. Fourthly, and equally important, the NATO-Russia cooperation is being intensified through the NATO-Russia Founding Act. The new European security structure will be built together with Russia. Fifthly, the substantial contribution to peace in former Yugoslavia through the NATO-led IFOR and SFOR operations. Sixthly, the internal adaptation process, including agreement on the new command structure of NATO, the development of the ESDI within NATO, and the decision to examine and up-date as necessary NATO's strategic concept. More could be added. Who would have contemplated all this possible in 1993? (44Kb) Then what does the future hold for NATO ? Allow me to suggest some main trends, approaching the year 2000 and beyond: I am convinced that the open door policy will prove to be a success. More countries will be come members of the Alliance. Enlargement will take place without compromising military effectiveness. NATO's continued credibility and attractiveness depend on this. NATO's ability to play a lead role in cooperation with partners in peace-keeping and peace-support activities in Europe and beyond will be further enhanced. NATO relations with non-Allied European countries will prosper further. Ever closer links will be established. The Partnership for Peace cooperation will grow stronger, the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council will develop into a proper, action-oriented forum for political cooperation, NATO's cooperation with Russia and with the Ukraine, with our Mediterranean partners will be further deepened. We will see new initiatives, for example regional, open-ended EAPC cooperation schemes based on the free will of each nation and partner. All this will contribute to the development of a secure, free and democratic Europe of the next century. Were we to reach these objectives, we would indeed be successful. Based on experience, I would not be surprised, should we accomplish even more. As NATO moves towards the 21st century, I am convinced that the Alliance will be a driving force in the development of a new, inclusive European security architecture. Finally, allow me, as Chairman-in-Office of the OSCE and host of the up-coming OSCE Ministerial to add that I look forward to welcoming you all in Copenhagen later this week. Hopefully, the OSCE Ministerial will prove a successful conclusion of 1997 which has brought so many important decisions from Paris, Sintra, Madrid, Amsterdam, Luxembourg last week, Brussels today and tomorrow, and finally from Copenhagen. Thank you.