At the meeting of the Euro- Atlantic Cooperation Council Brussels, 17 Dec. 1997

Presentation By the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Mrs. Zdenka Kramplov Dear Mr. Secretary General, Dear Mr. President d'Honneur, Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentleman, We have a positive perception and evaluation of the six months which passed since EAPC was established in Sintra. We have pursued common goals - to improve European security, the political dimension of our cooperation in EAPC and to enhance practical cooperation in the framework of PfP. What has been achieved so far leads us towards more secure and stable Europe. We welcome the new working environment of the EAPC committees which reflects the declared needs of its higher quality preserving all positive experiences from the past. Notion towards more focused and result-oriented consultations and cooperation between NATO and EAPC partners is in full accord with our expectations. They found its concentrated from in the documents submitted to our meeting. We consider them, especially EAPC Action Plan 1998-2000, a solid base for the further enhancement of our cooperation in terms of better short-term planning and long-term preparation. Slovakia wants to take an active role in all areas of our cooperation. Political and arms control consultations, policy planning, peacekeeping, and civil emergency planning are on the top of our priorities. We welcome the idea of establishing, as a support to the United Nations, a Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre and a Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Unit as a result of civil emergency cooperation. Continuing involvement of the partners into the decision making and planning processes of the EAPC and PfP activities, opening of the NATO planning boards and committees, opening of the international posts in Partnership Coordination Cell and preparation of the Partnership Staff Elements, to mention only a few of them, are encouraging steps Slovakia welcomed and took an active part in. Recent establishment of the Mission of the Slovak Republic to NATO was another milestone in the process of development of mutually convenient and effective relationship between my country and Alliance in the interest of both sides. I strongly believe that our Mission will become a solid tool of the contribution of Slovakia to European security and stability through our continuing efficient, transparent, result-oriented cooperation with NATO. Stable and prosperous Central Europe is one of our most vital national interests. We are aware that one of the most constructive means to achieve this is regional cooperation. Therefore, we welcome that this issue is on the agenda of EAPC. My country will contribute to the regional stability by further continuation of regional multilateral and bilateral cooperation and thus strengthening of already existing good neighbourly relations. Here I would like to stress that Slovakia has serious interest to gain and to use all possible information of invited countries in their process of negotiating with NATO. I believe that these information will be useful for another partners countries too, so we weigh the proposal to host a seminar in this issue in Slovakia next year. Mr. Secretary General, The Slovak considers the security and stability in Europe the ultimate goal of its security policy. In some cases it can be acquired, beside integration and cooperation which are driven by primary national interests, only by international peace cooperation. Peacekeeping is an obligation task Slovakia is already fulfilling in and we want to be better prepared for it in the future. At this point it is my pleasure to inform you that our parliament approved the contribution of the Slovak Republic to SFOR. In this regard we welcome the initial brainstorming on the framework of NATO led PfP operations which, as we understand it, should be one of the eventual concrete results of EAPC/PfP cooperation. I should like to use this opportunity and assure Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council that Slovakia will continue in the effective EAPC and PfP cooperation through participation in EAPC activities and implementation of the IPP carefully tailored according to our integration goals - membership of the Slovak Republic in Euro-Atlantic security and economic structures with the aim to share as soon as possible common values, rights and responsibilities with the Allies. Thank You