Weekly press briefing

by NATO Spokesman James Appathurai

JAMES APPATHURAI (NATO Spokesman):  I only want to mention three things.  Then, I'm happy to take your questions on whatever you wish to address.  And these are just three meetings that the Secretary General has had and then to look forward a little bit.

One is that the Secretary General has met yesterday with the Georgian foreign minister where they have addressed a number of issues.  First, the Georgian intention to increase its contribution to the ISAF mission, something the Secretary General welcomed. 

Second, Georgia's defence reform, its individual partnership action plan.  I can tell you the Secretary General was quite complimentary they're putting enormous effort into it and it is going well. 

And third of course, they discuss regional security.  Georgia's relation with Russia, no surprise, recent incidents involving a missile landing on Georgian territory. 

The Secretary General also met yesterday with the Armenian foreign minister.  They first discussed the individual partnership action plan.  It has been one year.  And it has been a good first year of implementation.  They got a positive review from the Allies. 

Certainly, the Secretary General encouraged much more effort in the defence and security sector reform area.  He also congratulated the foreign minister on recent parliamentary elections that were a step in the right direction and look forward to presidential elections as well.  Armenia is increasing its contribution to KFOR for which the Secretary General thanked the foreign minister.  And I'm wondering if there's anything else that needs to be mentioned.  No.

Finally, this afternoon, the Secretary General will meet with the Serbian foreign minister, Mr. Jeremić.  My understanding is that Mr. Jeremić is scheduled to be with the press around three o'clock.  Is it appropriate? 

UNIDENTIFIED:  (INAUDIBLE).

APPATHURAI:  Around 3:30.  Okay, yes, certainly not before 3:30.  That's quite clear. 

The substantive new development is that we expect Mr. Jeremić to present or submit to NATO what we call the presentation document which is an important step towards full participation and partnership for peace.  We have good cooperation at the technical level.  We have, as you know, a transit agreement between Serbia and NATO that is closer now to agreement.  We have a liaison office in Serbia. 

There are other steps that need to be taken, including signatures of various documents.  But in essence, this is an important step forward to establish a permanent partnership for peace relationship between NATO and Serbia.  I'm sure that Mr. Jeremić will also hear from the Secretary General, from Allies as he will meet with ENAC.  Congratulations for that, continued new encouragement for cooperation with the International Tribunal which is as important to Allies as it has always been.

Of course, they will discuss Kosovo.  There is no doubt.  The Serb position is very clear.  The NATO position is also clear and unified.  And we will see of course whether the discussions go that are now taking place, I believe, soon, in the September face to face in New York between the two parties.  But right now the political discussion is certainly elsewhere. 

Mr. Jeremić may also hear encouragement that Belgrade should encourage Kosovar Serbs to participate not only in Kosovo's institutions but also in the upcoming elections which I believe are slated for November 7th.  The Kosovar Serbs have their place in Kosovo. However, the process goes forward. 

Finally, let me mention that from the 6th to the 9th, so starting tomorrow and stretching through the weekend, the NATO Chief of Defence will be meeting in a particularly wonderful country of Canada.  They will meet with the Governor General in Ottawa I believe and fly out to Victoria where they will have a number of discussions looking forward to, of course, the Narvik defence ministers' meeting:  force levels, missions, etc. in Afghanistan as well as in Kosovo and various areas.  That's really all I wanted to say.  It's very...  Just to be very brief.  But I'm happy to take your questions on any issues. 

Please, we'll start with the harder one.

Q:  I won't be the harder one.  I just was curious about Georgia's...

APPATHURAI:  Yes.

Q:  Yes, contribution to ISAF.  That's a subject of substance and defence reform in Georgia.  But the regional security thing, what's the point of discussing the missile?  I mean Georgia can say to Secretary General "a missile landed; we don't like it."  And what the Secretary General say in return other than if you're talking about putting a radar stations or some kind of military base in Georgia, then all he can do is take note.

APPATHURAI:  You're quite right that NATO is not playing a direct role in this incident  And the Georgian government does not want NATO to play a direct role in this incident, either investigation or in every way.  So this was simply information exchange.  We, of course, do have intensified dialogue with Georgia.  It would only make sense for a visiting minister to discuss what is obviously an important security issue for them with us.  On a separate but somewhat related track, in 2003, NATO and Georgia agreed to begin implementing an arrangement that we have with a number of other partners.  And that is to link up their air picture with ours, not to integrate it but to link it up.  You're familiar with this.  And that is certainly something that will go forward as I say.  It is a separate but obviously relevant track.

Q:  Will it go a little faster because of this missile?

APPATHURAI:  Well, I think its relevance is quite clear.  I don't know if the speed will change.  I think people work on these technical arrangements as quickly as they can.  So that's... that's about it.

MODERATOR:  Please.

Q:  James, just continue the Georgian topic.  It's known there are some kind of disputes between Georgia and the Russian side about the nature of those missiles falling on Georgian territory.  So that... are going... intend maybe to discuss that issue with the Russian side framework of the Council, and maybe to discuss with the Russians of the issues like recent decision to set the Council's presence in a Mediterranean or just to restore the air patrolling in the North Sea, thank you.

APPATHURAI:  Thank you for that.  I believe the OSCE is taking the lead in looking into what happened in this particular incident.  And Mr. Martineau (?) says, I believe, "just left the country".  I  understand that the report by the OSCE will be made available, made public in the coming week.  So let us leave that to the OSCE.  NATO is not playing any investigative role whatsoever.  The OSCE is the appropriate body.  I don't know what will be brought up at the next NRC meeting.  I have no idea.  I don't know that this will be on the agenda.  When it comes to patrolling in the Mediterranean, in fact, we do have good news.  And I'm sure that you're aware of this.  And that is, as of either yesterday or  today, a Russian ship is now patrolling with NATO's Operation Active Endeavour.  So in fact, yes, there's a Russian ship in the Mediterranean and it's patrolling with us.  And we're quite pleased about that.  As to whether any of these other initiatives will be brought again, I don't think any agenda is clear.  But I would not be surprised.  I think Mark you're next.

Q:  Is this your view that NATO troops could be in an independent Kosovo without a UN resolution on the basis of the existing 12-44?  And what would be the cases as far as any country that was a member of KFOR but didn't actually recognize any unilateral dependence?  Would they have to leave?  Or.. or what?

APPATHURAI:  Well, we're now into what the Secretary General calls "his traditional iffy questions".  I don't want, certainly on the record, to speculate too far.  What I can say on the record is that the NATO view is that until 12-44 is superseded by another UN Security Council resolution, 12-44 remains in place.  That's also the UN's view.  And therefore, 12-44 as it has until now provides a legal basis for the presence of NATO forces in... in Kosovo.  It refers very specifically to...  as you might point out... I don't think NATO, but to an international military presence.  That is the NATO view on this. 

Q:  ... any change (INAUDIBLE).

APPATHURAI:  Well, I don't know how we get into.  Now, we're into the "if".  But if Kosovo is independent, it is a very, very complicate question.  The simple point for us is 12-44, unless it is superseded, remains in place.  12-44 provides the basis for the presence of NATO forces in Kosovo and that is the view of the United Nations as well as of NATO. 

As to what individual allies will do, well that's a discussion for non-NATO members will do.  If the situation changes, that is a discussion that needs to be add but I won't speculate on that now.

Q:  Do we now know who is going to be the commander of ISAF next year?

APPATHURAI:  I will have to check.  I don't know what the answer was.  Thanks folks.