20 Oct. 1999	Kosovo update In Kosovo, humanitarian aid continues to be a priority for KFOR. As of 19th October, KFOR began to dedicate one train per day for humanitarian aid. Additionally, the Multi-national Brigade (Central) has distributed rations, blankets, clothes, shoes, and shelter materials by helicopter to the remote villages of Suka, Dabishevc, and Zlas. Identified areas of concern receive emergency assistance daily, however the needs still go beyond what is distributed or even available.
20 Oct. 1999	SFOR detains war criminal Damir Dosen, a war criminal charged with grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 1949, violations of the laws or customs of war, and crimes against humanity, has been detained by SFOR. He was a shift commander in Keraterm camp, north-west Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 1992 where over 3000 Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats were detained. He has been transferred to The Hague where he will stand trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia.
21 Oct. 1999	Balkans visit The Permanent Representatives of NATO's 19 members on the North Atlantic Council (NAC) - NATO's highest decision-making body- and NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson, visited the Balkans on 21-22 October. On 21 October, they visited Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) where they stopped off in Tuzla and Sarajevo. They met with the High Representative for BiH, Wolfgang Petritsch and the SFOR Commander, Lt. Gen. Ronald Adams. They also met with members of the BiH Tri-Presidency, and with leaders of the Opposition. On 22 October, the NAC travelled to Kosovo and was able to see at first hand some of the problems facing KFOR and the international community in providing assistance to the region. Meetings were held with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, Dr Bernard Kouchner, with KFOR Commander, Gen. Dr Klaus Reinhardt, and with Kosovar community leaders. The NAC was also able to meet with Prime Minister, Ljubco Georgievski, and other senior members of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Government (1). 1. Turkey recognises the Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name.
21 Oct. 1999	"Technology - A Bridge to the Future" Strategic thinking and policy formulation issues were discussed during a symposium organised by the Old Dominion University, Norfolk (United States) and the Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic (SACLANT), on 21 and 22 October. Participants discussed the impact of technology on multinational organisations, the opportunities technology offers, its consequences and its future, and technology transfer.
25 Oct. 1999	Tour of NATO member countries As is the tradition on the arrival of a new Secretary General, Lord Robertson started his tour of NATO member countries with a first meeting in Brussels where he met Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, Foreign Minister Louis Michel and Defence Minister André Flahaut on 25 October. He then visited the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on 28 October. He met His Royal Highness the Hereditary Grand Duke, Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lydie Polfer, Minister of Defence Charles Goerens and other government officials. On the same day, he went to Madrid where he was received by His Majesty the King of Spain. He also met with the President of the Government, José Maria Aznar, and the Minister of Defence, Eduardo Serra. From 31 October to 3 November, Lord Robertson travelled to North America. He first stopped in Canada where he met with Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy and Defence Minister Art Aggleton. He then pursued his trip to the United States, meeting with Secretary of State for Defence, William Cohen, Senior Administrative officials and key Senators.
25 Oct. 1999	Workshop on ecological problems NATO CCMS (Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society) is sponsoring a workshop on ecological problems caused by defence activities in the Black Sea and the adjacent Azov Sea, from 25 to 29 October. Organised in Sevastopol, Ukraine, the workshop aims to assess the ecological safety of naval bases and coastal infrastructure, consolidate present efforts being made in this area and agree on a way of assisting Ukraine in putting into place projects on recovery of the environment. This workshop follows one which took place on 14-17 October in Georgia on "Environmental Security of Oil Pipelines".
26 Oct. 1999	Latvian President at NATO HQ Mrs Vaira Vike-Freiberga, the President of Latvia, came to NATO HQ on 26 October to meet NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson. Latvia is among the countries aspiring to NATO membership, together with Albania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (1). Additional information: High resolution photos of the visit to NATO by Vaira Vike-Freiberga, President of Latvia 1. Turkey recognises the Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name.