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Updated: 08-Jun-2001 NATO Speeches

Meeting of
EAPC Defence Ministers
NATO HQ,
Brussels
8 June 2001

Statement

by Dr. Anton Grizoid, Minister of Defence of Slovenia

Mr. Secretary General, Esteemed Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Today's meeting is focusing on "PfP's Contributions to Euro-Atlantic Crisis Management Capabilities." With two ongoing NATO-led operations with soldiers from NATO members and Partner countries defending the peace side by side; with the Membership Action Plan helping nine aspirants in preparations for NATO membership; and with the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council as an extremely important consultative forum for co-operation and consultation, this is indeed a good time for us to have such a discussion.

It was in Bosnia and Herzegovina that NATO together with Partners actively and successfully took on the role of crisis management. This did not come about by accident. Rather, it was made possible and it was the payoff of the Partnership for Peace Programme and the EAPC. This notion was even further strengthened by the events in Kosovo. The contribution PfP is making to Euro-Atlantic crisis management capabilities today is not important only politically but also militarily. And in the future, one could hardly imagine NATO-led crisis response operations without Partner involvement.

To make this involvement possible, Slovenia's priority is to make its forces more operational and our military structure efficient enough to make even stronger contribution to peace and stability. For these reasons, fundamental defence and military reform is our first priority and to this end, we have just consulted with the Alliance collectively on the future structure of Slovenian Armed Forces. We carefully took note of valuable comments from the nineteen and we will take full advantage of this assistance. On one hand we will downsize our forces and on other we will restructure them and introduce new capabilities. This will allow us to meet our national defence needs, to participate in crisis response operations outside our territory and in case of NATO membership, that we are striving for, it will allow us to contribute to the security of the Alliance.

The first results of defence reform are already tangible. The additional infantry platoon Slovenia initially planned to offer for SFOR beginning of next year will be now operational and ready for deployment already this Autumn. Furthermore, I am confident that by the Autumn EAPC session, we will be in the position to offer even additional capabilities.

Slovenia is serious about doing its fair share and making a real contribution to Euro-Atlantic security. This is not based merely on rhetoric but on hard work in meeting the standards set by the Membership Action Plan and on our continues commitment to be involved in the single greatest security challenge we are facing today - in stabilising the South-East Europe. Allow me also to stress that from the beginning of this year, Slovenia has decided not to ask for reimbursement from NATO's PfP budget any more. We want to contribute and we are ready to bear the cost of doing that.

Slovenia continues to attach high importance to all reports we are noting today. Allies and Partners have to ensure that the Operational Capabilities Concept is going to be further developed and that it will indeed contribute to the enhanced and more operational partnership with the Alliance. The second review of the implementation of the Political Military Framework for NATO-led PfP Operations has in our view made a right step towards even more meaningful participation of the troop contributors in the political and military command of operations-

The Progress Report on the Development of South-East Europe Initiative and Contributions of the Alliance to the Stability Pact speaks for itself and is fully supported by continues and even more active involvement of Slovenia in the stabilisation of South-East Europe. Within the framework of the Stability pact, Slovenia is implementing numerous projects, providing meaningful financial resources and coordinating the area of human rights and minorities. Our flagship, the International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance (ITF), has with significant assistance of the United States and other donor countries, developed very effective regional approach to sustainable mine clearance and mine victims assistance in the South-East Europe.

Thank you for your attention.

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