Statement
by
Mr. Girts Valdis Kristovskis
Minister of Defence of the Republic of Latvia
at the Meeting of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council
in Defence Ministers session
Secretary General,
Dear Colleagues, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen!
Some nine months after the devastating terrorist attacks on the United
States, the security landscape in the Euroatlantic area continues to adapt.
The role of the EAPC in combating terrorism needs to be considered in
the light of the wider changes confronting the Alliance.
Secretary General, in your letter to Ministers about our meeting today
you invited guidance from us on a number of important questions relating
to our Council's role in fighting terrorism. There are two aspects I want
to consider - our own experience in developing Latvia's national plan
and, following on from that, what I see as the important elements that
should be included in the Prague Summit.
We acted speedily last September and consulted closely with our immediate
neighbors Estonia and Lithuania on the measures to be taken and that would
add value in the international campaign against terrorism. We were able
to act in a realistic way according to our ability because we maintain
stability and internal control of our territory. We focused on a number
of areas:- the collection and exchange of information; improving border
controls and export controls; strengthening internal control over the
movement of strategic materials and weapons within the country; adapting
banking laws. They were all included into our Action Plan which has been
under regular Governmental review since last fall. The issues involved
do not always make headline news, but are of practical importance and
continue to be a priority.
At the same time we realized that we have shortcomings, especially when
it comes to military engagement. The MAP process and the review of our
Force structures helped us to focus on these shortcomings. In the changed
environment after 11th September we have accelerated our work on certain
priorities. We still need support to develop capabilities in the area
of air defenses, NBC defenses and deployability. These issues could be
addressed by the pooling of Baltic resources.
What can our experience offer to the wider framework leading to Prague?
It has become clear to us that these measures need to continue in force
for the long term. We need perhaps to retain a flexible approach. The
emphasis on measures being taken could therefore change as circumstances
dictate.
However, we should keep in focus one of the main aims, which I see as
being to make easier the interaction between our countries in this fight
against terrorism. With this principle in mind and going on the experience
that we have gained, I think that there are four elements that the EAPC
could focus on in the coming months :
1. information exchange
The major precondition for enhanced information exchange is attaining
confidence in the protection of information. NATO candidate countries
are rapidly meeting the necessary requirements within the MAP process.
Information is essential for use as a preventive measure. The sources
need to be checked, they need to be secure and reliable. We could consider
how to develop incentives for other partners to improve their procedures.
We also need to develop the ability to speedily analyze information received
so as to take preventive measures to be one step ahead of the enemy.
2. promoting public information
An important part of the fight against terrorism is raising awareness
public awareness about possible methods that terrorist and extremist organizations
could use and about actions that the public could take in the event of
such threats and emergencies arising. Experience in informing the public
could be shared among EAPC countries.
3. civil-military cooperation
The war against terrorism means dealing with a disguised enemy. Improving
intelligence is of vital importance. It could be achieved by better preparing
local populations in their interaction between military authorities and
other agencies involved. In this context, civil emergency planning needs
to consider terrorist-related scenarios. The forthcoming exercise in Russia,
"Bogorodsk 2002" where Latvia is also going to participate,
is a positive example of this.
4. training and education of personnel
Despite the high costs involved, NBC protection has been given priority
within our own armed forces development plans. Given the increasing threat,
both bilateral cooperation and Partnership programs could place a greater
emphasis on training personnel in this area.
Mr. Chairman!
The unique feature distinguishing EAPC from other organizations is its
operational nature. The steps mentioned above are aimed at improving readiness
for participation in operations such as Operation Enduring Freedom, which
in turn offers us the chance to provide a practical contribution to the
fight against terrorism.
Latvia has received support and assistance from Denmark to prepare our
air movement support team to deploy to the Manas air base in the Kyrgyz
Republic. We can only commend the Kyrgyz and other regional countries'
authorities for the crucial role that they have played in the fight against
terrorism. The burden and workload that they carry is huge. However, we
regret that our offer to assist has taken over six months to be considered.
Unfortunately this casts doubts on the effective interaction between EAPC
partners and restricts our ability to participate in the fight against
terrorism. We very much hope that ultimately, the combined Baltic attempts
to deploy with Denmark can be considered as an acceptable offer by our
Kyrgyz colleagues in our joint fight against terrorism. This would be
a step towards improving the interaction between members of our Council.
Secretary General, colleagues!
Our discussions on the EAPC role in the international fight against terrorism
do not take place in isolation. The issues to be addressed in Prague are
linked to this fight. Improved capabilities, new members in the Alliance
and developing important new relations between NATO and others all have
a direct impact.
The coalition against terrorism can best meet the challenges by engaging
as many countries as necessary, large and small, and in the knowledge
that the fight is not confined just to the battlefield. As the representative
of one of the smaller countries in our Council, you can rest assured that
Latvia will continue to meet the challenges that the threat of terrorism
pose with determination and as much support that our resources allow.
Thank you.
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