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| Updated: 20-Dec-2001 | Week of 17-23 December 2001 |
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Defence
Ministers' meeting:
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Special webmodule |
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Defence Ministers Meeting NATO HQ - 18-19 Dec. 2001 |
At their second meeting since the 11 September attacks against the United States, NATO Defence Ministers focused their discussions, 18-19 December, on the fight against terrorism and ways of adapting the military capabilities of NATO member countries to new threats. Ways of rationalising peacekeeping forces in the Balkans and the new impetus given to NATO-Russia relations were also examined.
Defence Ministers met in many different formats throughout these two days to address these questions, as well as other key issues on NATO's political agenda. On 18 December, they first met within the Defence Planning Committee -NATO's principal body on issues related to the integrated military structure- and the Nuclear Planning Group -NATO's principal decision making body on nuclear policy. They reiterated the Alliance's reliance on a limited number of nuclear force as part of its defence doctrine and assessed the progress made in meeting force goals and the wide range of objectives set out in the Alliance's Defence Capabilities Initiative.
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They discussed the additional efforts needed to develop more deployable forces and to deal with the risks of proliferation of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) weapons and their means of delivery, recognising that there were some shortfalls among most members in these areas. At a press conference, Lord Robertson sent out a clear message: "If we want safety for our people, we need additional resources for defence and security, and we need the right balance within our defence programmes. The simple message from NATO Defence Ministers is this - you can't get defence on the cheap."
Defence Ministers then met in the format of the North Atlantic Council (NAC-D), which started with a briefing by the United States Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, on Afghanistan and the continued fight against the Al Qaida terrorist network. Regarding security today, the Secretary of Defense concluded that we should prepare for the full range of asymmetrical threats and always be "prepared for the unexpected". The Defence Ministers' meeting included an official luncheon, during which NATO-Russia relations, the Balkans, DCI and the European Defence Identity were discussed, as well as missile defence and the United States' announcement, on 13 December, of its intention to withdraw from the ABM Treaty.
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The NAC resumed session in the afternoon mainly to discuss the prospect of rationalised peacekeeping forces in the Balkans. A study is underway to assess the possibility of adopting a more regional approach to the NATO-led forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Kosovo in order to optimise their efficiency. Ministers then discussed NATO-Russia relations with Defence Minister, Sergei Ivanov, within the NATO-Russia Permanent Joint Council, building on the decision taken at the Foreign Ministers' meetings, 6-7 December, to reinforce cooperation. In addition, there was an exchange of letters to establish a Military Liaison Mission in Moscow and plans to hold a NATO-Russia conference on the role of the military in combating terrorism in February 2002.
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On 19 December, Defence Ministers met for a meeting of the
NATO-Ukraine Commission, with Defence Minister General Volodymyr
Shkidchenko. The agenda was dominated by the issue of defence
reform, which is an ongoing process in Ukraine. They also announced
an Aspen Institute conference on NATO-Ukraine relations, planned
for 3-4 March 2002 in Berlin. The Euro-Atlantic Partnership
Council (EAPC) then met in Defence Ministers' session to discuss
three main issues: improving cooperation and capabilities to
address terrorism and other non-conventional threats, practical
cooperation under the Partnership for Peace programme and approval
of the Planning and Review Process Ministerial Guidance 2002.
Lord Robertson reiterated the importance of the EAPC, stating
that it "is, and must continue to be, an essential pillar
of the international coalition against terrorism".
Additional information:
