EAPC-Defence Ministers' Meeting Brussels, 18 Dec. 1998

Statement by Mrs. Anneli Taina Minister of Defence, Finland Mr. Secretary General, Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen, Today's discussion has shown that the key issue before us is to find ways and means to make the Partnership more operational. In essence, this means that in the future Partners should make themselves more capable of operating efficiently together with NATO nations in Peace Support Operations. We hope that the PARP Workshop arranged in Helsinki in October served that purpose. A summary of the results of the workshop will be available after the meeting. The enhancement of PARP will give us better tools to improve interoperability. The third cycle will be more demanding than the first two. Its new elements, the Ministerial Guidance and the Partnership Goals, which are wider in scope and more ambitious in substance, will include new types of capabilities which better serve a wide range of operational requirements. Moreover, the Partnership Goals are important in linking Partners, in a tangible way, to the future role of the Combined Joint Task Force Headquarters, and should result in new substantial planning work to be given to the Partnership Staff Elements. But PARP is indeed part of a comprehensive whole, which will govern future relations between NATO and Partners. There are two other pillars designed to make the Partnership more operational: the Political-Military Framework and an intensified military cooperation including the concept of Multinational Formations. All three should progress in parallel. The new Allied-Partner formations now under consideration should be linked to the NATO force structure for PfP Operations. In this context we believe that the concept of a common Nordic Brigade is a good example of an Allied-Partner formation, bringing together contributions from Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. As for the Political-Military Framework, it is necessary to find a formula for informing Partners of emerging crises as early as possible, for engaging troop contributing Partner nations in consultations concerning the planned operation, and ultimately, for involving them in decision making. The time perspective for the approval of the Political-Military Framework is the Washington Summit. Finally, a few words about intensified debate on European defence. We may not be aware of all aspects embodied in recent statements and declarations. Nevertheless, we are heartened by the emphasis on the need to muster a clear political will among Europeans to take greater responsibility for crisis management in our continent, and to provide ourselves with the necessary military and other means to act together. This will help the practical implementation of the crisis management provisions of the Amsterdam Treaty, when it enters in to force. We for our part intend to contribute actively to this development. The article published recently by the Finnish and Swedish foreign ministers in the leading dailies of the two countries was a first contribution. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.