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Bosnia
and the Brcko arbitration
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Last week, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Clark (Photo),
visited Bosnia and Herzegovina. He met President Jelavic, the Croatian
Representative of the Federation's three-person presidency, in Sarajevo,
to discuss the return of refugees in 1999. General Clark also visited
Brcko on which the Independent Arbitrator, Roberts Owen, has just
reached a decision concerning the town's future status: it has been
declared a neutral district. NATO Secretary General, Dr Javier Solana,
has welcomed the Brcko arbitration which has also been accepted
by the Republika Srpska and the Federation.
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Kosovo
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The situation in Kosovo remains high on the agenda of the North
Atlantic Council and member nations of the Alliance. NATO officials
continue to make clear the Alliance's readiness to support the efforts
of the international community and those of Ambassadors Hill, Petritsch,
and Mayorski as they seek to negotiate an interim peace agreement
for Kosovo.
NATO nations are moving forces to the region to increase their
readiness to deploy a NATO-led Implementation Force to Kosovo if
an agreement is reached. This force would serve to deter renewed
hostilities, contribute to a secure environment for the OSCE Implementation
Mission, monitor and, as necessary, ensure compliance with the military
aspects of the interim agreement. Allied air forces also remain
ready to conduct air strikes when necessary, if an agreement cannot
be reached.
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Clearing
unexploded munitions in Albania
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A NATO Team of experts is currently training Albanian military
specialists who will soon begin clearance of a significant quantity
of unexploded munitions (UXOs) at 11 major sites throughout the
country. The NATO Team is also providing advice concerning the disposal
of thousands of tonnes of obsolete, damaged or excess ammunition
currently located in 140 military storage sites.
Building on its success, the programme is now being pushed further
toward the ultimate goal of the Albanians achieving self-sufficiency
in this challenging work. Expert teams are advising the Albanian
Ministry of Defence on issues related to the stability of the ammunition
and its storage conditions. Additionally, aerial reconnaissance
of the UXO sites has been conducted and photographs requested for
use in clearance planning. More information on this programme can
be found on the website of the
NATO Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Ammunition Storage Training
Teams.
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President
Poplasen "removed"
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The NATO Secretary General welcomes the announcement of the Independent
Arbitrator, Mr Robert Owen, on the future neutral status of Brcko
and calls on all sides to honour the decision, guaranteeing freedom
of movement for all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina through the
Brcko district.
The NATO Secretary General expresses his support for the decision
of the High Representative, Carlos Westendorp, in accordance with
the powers vested in him by the General Framework Agreement for
Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to remove Nikola Poplasen from
the Office of President of Republika Srpska.
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Millennium
date change
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A Swedish Partnership for Peace Seminar on the Millennium Date
Change Problem and Crisis Management will take place in Stockholm
on 8th/10th March. Hosted by Sweden's Agency for Civil Emergency
Planning (OCB), the event is expected to be attended by 80 delegates
from 30 NATO and non-NATO countries which are members of the Euro-Atlantic
Partnership Council.
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Secretary
General receives the Legion of Honour
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During an official visit to France, NATO Secretary General, Dr
Javier Solana, was presented with the insignia of Commander of the
Legion of Honour by President Jacques Chirac. Solana was in Paris
on 8 March, as part of his tour of NATO member countries before
the Washington Summit in April.
Apart from meeting with the French President, he also met the Minister
of Foreign Affairs, Hubert Védrine, and the Minister of Defence,
Alain Richard and delivered a speech at the Institut des hautes
études de défense nationale.
Previously, he went to Luxembourg on 4 March where he met His Royal
Highness the Hereditary Grand Duke, "Lieutenant Représentant",
Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister
of Foreign Affairs, Jacques Poos, and Minister of Defence, Alex
Bodry. On 9 March, he made his official visit to the United Kingdom
where he discussed issues on the Washington Summit agenda with Secretary
of State for Defence, George Robertson and other British officials.
Additional information:
(Photo: Medal of the Order of the French Legion
of Honour)
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"Life
begins at fifty"
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The Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies, London,
hosted an international security policy conference within NATO's
50th anniversary programme, 8-10 March, focussing on the Alliance's
present and future missions. Secretary General, Dr Javier Solana,
gave the opening speech in which he identified NATO's main challenges
for the next century: the management of three major transformation
processes, that of Europe, Russia, and the transatlantic link. He
stated that "...the creation of new relations between an integrating
and widening Europe, a participating Russia, and an engaged North
America is what NATO's post-Cold War agenda is all about."
Having underlined these challenges, he concluded "...it is
true what they say: life begins at fifty!"
Additional information:
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