"Co-operation
in EAPC/PfP: opportunities and challenges in light of the Kosovo crisis"
Address
by H.E. Mr. Algirdas Saudargas,
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania
Secretary General,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen
A year has passed since our last formal meeting in this format, a year
of significant political decisions taken in Washington, Cologne, Istanbul
and recently in Helsinki. It will be right to say that conflict in Kosovo
has had its impact on at least part of these decisions. Crisis triggered
NATO's Defence Capabilities Initiative (DCI) and influenced processes
of co-operation in the security and defence area among Europeans. It also
once again confirmed the need to develop further the Alliance interaction
with partners.
There is a clear evidence that NATO's active and extensive political
and operational engagement in the Balkans has been and will continue to
be indispensable for stabilisation of the region. Lithuania fully subscribes
to the Alliance's commitment to enhance stability and security in the
Balkans. We continue our participation in SFOR and since mid-September
our military unit together with the Polish contingent is part of the KFOR.
I agree that EAPC and PfP framework, given its co-operative nature and
inclusive format, can make significant contribution to long-term stability
and co-operation in the South Eastern European region. We welcome the
work of the Ad hoc Working Group on Prospects for Regional Co-operation
in South Eastern Europe. We noted identified areas for co-operative initiatives
and priorities for initial work that the Group has recommended. In the
latter context, Lithuania is ready to share its experience with South
Eastern European countries particularly in the areas of civil-military
relations and democratic control of the military as well as in the field
of airspace management and its civil-military institutional co-ordination.
It is important to emphasise that NATO's activities with regard to the
Balkans are supportive of the goals of the Stability Pact for South East
Europe and therefore are carried out in well co-ordinated manner with
all other efforts of International Community.
Heads of State and Government agreed in Washington that Enhanced and
more Operational Partnership (EMOP) were a package of measures that would
considerably improve the effectiveness of the Partnership. In Lithuania,
we view an added value of the EMOP in the broader context of its practical
application.
Indeed, the progress in its implementation will support and help Lithuania
to enhance the quality and effectiveness of its involvement in NATO-led
operations. In this context, the Political-Military Framework for NATO-led
PfP Operations (PMF) is a fundamental document as it sets out principles
and modalities for our involvement in political consultations and decision
making, in operational planning and in command arrangements of such operations.
Currently SFOR and KFOR provide an excellent testing ground for the Framework's
application in practise.
Moreover, the EMOP will complement important initiatives of the Alliance
at nineteen, such as the Defence Capabilities Initiative (DCI). Here we
see an important added value in the Operational Capabilities Concept (OCC)
for it links together the various elements of PfP to produce a coherent
and effective process for improvement of Lithuania's capabilities to operate
together with NATO forces. In relation to Lithuania's active participation
in LITPOLBAT and BALTBAT, I would place a particular emphasis on the issue
of multinational forces within the context of this Concept. I believe
that the two years ahead of us shall prove that implementation of the
Concept will have had a major positive effect on the enhanced operational
capabilities and readiness of both Allies and Partners.
Finally, we view Enhanced Partnership in direct relation to Lithuania's
Membership Action Plan (MAP). Lithuania has been an active participant
in PfP and will remain fully involved in the Enhanced and more Operational
Partnership during its accession to NATO and beyond. We have prepared
and submitted to NATO our National NATO Integration Programme where we
endorse our strong determination to attain objectives in order to fulfil
membership requirements. We realise that enhanced PfP co-operation coupled
with co-ordinated bilateral programmes constitute a set of mechanisms
that will be fully used by Lithuania for its membership preparations.
I'd like to welcome the fact that yesterday NATO Foreign Ministers devoted
considerable attention to the MAP questions. I believe, this reflects
the Alliance's commitment to enlargement process which will lead to further
invitations in coming years.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Last Friday the European Council in Helsinki adopted a fundamental decision
to start EU membership talks with six candidate states, Lithuania among
them. This is a recognition of our achievements and Lithuania is ready
to start membership talks early next year.
However, the European Union for Lithuania is also the Union of countries
with the increased determination to co-ordinate efforts in response to
external political and security challenges.
As I mentioned at the very beginning of my intervention, the Kosovo crisis
has revealed the fact that European countries have to have effective European
crisis management capabilities. We regard the results of the EU Summit
in Helsinki as a major step forward in strengthening of the common European
policy on security and defence. At the same time these decisions will
contribute to the further development of ESDI and will reinforce the Trans-Atlantic
link.
From our perspective, the common European policy on security and defence
is an issue for consideration among all contributors to the security and
stability of the Euro-Atlantic area, including the EU and NATO candidate
countries. New institutional structure should foresee the establishment
of regular and permanent framework for dialogue that would include all
European partners.
Dear Colleagues,
Let me make some remarks on the issue of great importance for all international
community.
We are concerned about the situation in the North Caucasus and fully
share concerns and appeals to Russian Federation expressed recently in
Helsinki by European Council and yesterday by Alliance in its Final Communiqué.
We urge the Russian Federation to end the disproportionate and indiscriminate
use of force in Chechnya and seek for political solution of this crisis,
to respect the principles of international humanitarian law and to create
appropriate conditions for international organisations enabling them to
provide humanitarian aid.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Using this opportunity, I would like to inform the Council that under
the joint Lithuanian-Slovenian initiative the two Governments plan to
hold an international conference on "NATO's role in the Changing
Security Environment in Europe".
NATO's means and tools enabling to address new challenges and threats
at the beginning of the 21st century, strengthening of the European Security
and Defence Identity, and the question of how to further improve interaction
among NATO, EU and - not the least - their Partners, will be the main
issues to be discussed at this international conference which is going
to be held in May, 2000, in Vilnius.
Thank you.
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