EAPC Foreign Ministers Meeting Florence 25 May 2000

Intervention by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic H.E. Mr. Eduard Kukan Chairman, Dear Colleagues, One of the obvious lessons learned from ongoing peace operations in the Balkans is that an active participation of partner nations was critical for success of these operations. Their contribution to NATO-led operations was a major factor in preventing this conflict from spilling-over across the region with fatal consequences especially to the neighbouring countries if not least for whole Europe. This fact has wide direct implications on crisis management in Euro-Atlantic area in general. In Kosovo we learned that in these days transatlantic partnership within EAPC/PfP is the right answer to real operational crisis management in Euro-Atlantic area. Effective use of various tools and mechanisms of partner co-operation makes our nations more secure and better prepared to face wide-ranging security challenges. Washington summit gave to EAPC/PtP a crucial impulse in this respect. One of the main topics during the last year Washington summit was how to make our partnership more operational. Today, just one year after, we have in front of us concrete results. Reports on Operational Capabilities Concept (OCC) and Training and Education Enhancement Programme (TEEP) prove that ideas embraced in the Enhanced and More Operational Partnership (EMOP) are being developed. Moreover, EMOP brings all partner nations closer to the Alliance in terms of sharing common procedures, culture of negotiations, decision-making and what is the most important, also in the field of real-life operational cooperation. If OCC brings our nations closer together in area of political-military preparedness to sustain current NATO-led operations and conduct future ones, the implementation of Political-Military Framework (PMF) allows us to create appropriate political atmosphere of cooperative decision-shaping and TEEP ensures compatibility of resources and procedures. It seems that a comprehensive framework for an operational partnership is about to be completed. In our future endeavours, it will provide us with effective tools for political consultations and mechanisms to ensure an appropriate level of military compatibility and interoperability as well as mechanism for training and education of the personnel, who will steer these tools. Six years ago, when the PfP was launched, only a few people, at that time called "unchangeable optimists", could have predicted such a huge success and depth of transatlantic partnership. The scope of partner cooperation ranges from regional cooperation, small arms initiative, joint scientific programmes, to participation in real-life peace operations in the Balkans, development of more operational partnership and MAP. Since we committed ourselves to further development of the EAPC/PfP framework, our work is becoming more and more demanding. Therefore, when deliberating future EAPC/PfP activities, enhancement through streamlining should be the leading idea. Having said that, we do not mean to do less but to work more efficiently with existing resources. This Spring Slovakia with other aspirant nations was engaged in the first round of consultations and assessment under the Membership Action Plan. Our experience is that MAP fulfilled expectations. We especially appreciated candid feedback and assessment from the Allies, which helps us to prepare more efficiently for future NATO membership. The MAP is a real challenge, especially in terms of resources. I would like to stress however that it does not limit our active participation in partnership. On the contrary, it improves our capabilities in all aspects to be even more valuable contributor to PfP. We follow with interest all aspects of implementation of decisions of the Washington summit on the ESDI and of the Cologne and Helsinki European Councils regarding Common European Security and Defence Policy (CESDP). We understand this as a necessary and logical process leading to the strengthening of abilities of Europeans to act autonomously in case of crisis management. At the same time we consider the continuation of this process as one of the important steps contributing to the strengthening of the relationship between the EU and NATO in the area of crisis management and the development of the ESDI within NATO. As we stated in the "Joint Statement" of the WEU Associated Partners, it is our view that NATO should remain the cornerstone of European security and foundation of collective defence with an important role in crisis management. In this context and in order to make all our contribution as effective as possible we expect that linkages between the future EU and current NATO and PfP planning mechanisms, principles and procedures of military and non-military crisis management will be mutually reinforcing. As a NATO aspirant country and EU associated member we have in this respect only one objective to enhance security in wide Euro-Atlantic area trough further reinforcement of the Euro-Atlantic partnership. Thank you for your attention