EAPC Meeting Budapest, Hungary 30 May 2001

Address by H.E. Mircea Geoana Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania Dear Secretary General, Distinguished Ministers and Colleagues, As I speak before you today, both in the capacity of OSCE Chairman- office and Foreign Minister of Romania, I am pleased to note the increasingly cooperative spirit characterizing the current relations between NATO and OSCE. Commonly shared principles, values and commitments , rooted in a mutual and comprehensive security approach, the unifying features of our Euro-Atlantic community. One of my main goals here today is to encourage the dialogue between OSCE and the Alliance's political link to Partner nations, EAPC. No doubt, such an exchange in tandem with a forum providing for regular consultations can enhance the process of cooperation. Before I discuss the NATO-OSCE partnership, let me gloss over, without going into detail, a few of the issues OSCE is facing. We have witnessed an alarming increase in violence in FYROM. More ordination is necessary between OSCE, EU and NATO to ensure a political settlement to the conflict. We strongly support the National Unity Government and the process of inter-ethnic dialogue on addressing legitimate concerns. There can be no military solution. In this respect, we welcome yesterday's agreement between governing parties on renouncing the previous agreement between elected Albanian political forces and the extremists. In Belarus, OSCE activities represent an important contribution to helping both the authorities and civil society further democracy in the country. Free and democratic presidential elections are central to ending Belarus' international isolation. Our OSCE experience, especially in the Balkans, demonstrates the need for mutual trust and cooperation between member states. The key lesson of the Western Balkan breakdown is the necessity of developing and fostering prevention and confidence building measures. A strong NATO-OSCE partnership has much to offer in ensuring that such measures are properly conceived and implemented. NATO and OSCE actions are aimed at similar objectives: promoting security, stability, cooperation and prosperity; promoting democracy, human tits and human dignity; promoting conflict prevention and early response to challenges and crisis. The increased cooperation of Brussels i Vienna in furthering these objectives can only help accelerate their realization. This partnership can lead us to a more prosperous and democratic Euro-Atlantic community. The initiative taken by Romania, Austria and Portugal to put forward a common document referring to the necessity of enhancing the NATO/EAPC-OSCE partnership stresses the importance of the on-going dialogue between our two organizations. It also seeks to identify general rules and principles to guide the behavior of states within our community in security-related matters. The partnership between NATO and OSCE has been permanently developed, being largely influenced by practical cooperation in peace support operations and in the context of institutional development. Today OSGE and NATO are both involved in operations in the Balkans, cooperating closely on the ground. Intensified staff level contact and political-level cross-representation at Ministerial and Summit meetings have already been established. Much of the pragmatic cooperation between OSCE and NATO, both at the headquarters level and in the field, has come from activities in South-East Europe (SEE), Kosovo a prime example. Yet it is not enough to simply speak of cooperation, offering concrete mechanisms is a must. My second goal today is to offer some insight into one effective mechanism for building lasting security and stability i SEE, the South-East Europe Common Assessment Paper (SEECAP). This initiative identifies the security challenges and opportunities of the region and strives to intensify and enhance the participants' common and individual contributions to European security and stability. Yesterday SEECAP endorsement will have a significant impact on the way v view the region's security and in effectively providing a support mechanism towards achieving a lasting security environment. I am pleased to note that this initiative is the first to involve all t countries of the region in defining our common views on the challenges to security and the opportunities for cooperation. The SEECAP perhaps the most significant regional approach to security in SEE within the framework of NATO's South-East Europe Initiative (SEEI). SEECAP is the beginning of a regional process, not an end in itself. It calls for concrete measures to be carried out in "follow-up" annual reviews. The practice of individual nations assuming the coordination specific initiatives has been proven useful under NATO's SEEI and will continue in the SEECAP follow-ups. Regional ownership and lead such initiatives has to become the norm. SEDM and SEECP could be looked upon" as suitable frameworks and instruments to be used to foster, in the first stage, the objectives identified under SEECAP. Post-Milosevic Yugoslavia in fact took its first steps towards rejoining the regional security framework by participating to the SEECAP. Working together with the Alliance and its Partners to fully integrate Yugoslavia in regional security cooperation mechanisms and in the Western Community is certainly one of our priorities. Romania pledges its full support to SEECAP and its full commitment the goal of Euro-Atlantic integration. Romania has been a constant source of stability and a provider of regional security in an area that has experienced much turbulence and unpredictability in the last ten yean his maturity and commitment earned Romania the responsibility of the OSCE Chairmanship. It will take continued commitment on our side to earn the responsibility of membership to the Alliance. We are ready and willing to rise to the challenge and work in concert with other Membership Action Plan countries. I am fully confident that Romania has the capacity and maturity to promote NATO values and interests. NATO and OSCE values can play a central role in promoting a new cullture of relations based on mutual trust and cooperation between the countries of Central, East and South-East Europe. In this respect, NATO plays a key role. The Alliance is a beacon calling to those Neighboring countries willing and able to accept the responsibilities of joining her side. As we steadfastly approach the Prague Summit this scope of the Alliance needs to endure. The natural process of enlargement has to go on. In parallel with the enlargement track it is vital to develop and implement effective mechanisms for cooperation between members of the Euro-Atlantic community wherever they may be needed. The SEECAP could be a practical model for future use by other members our community. The events of the past decade have taught us that we can best enhance Security and stability by acting in unison, using the Alliance as the lynchpin of transatlantic security. Toward that end, I pledge Romania's efforts and commitment and count on your support. Thank you.