23 July 2003

Greece and Turkey agree confidence-building measures News 23/07/2003 Statement by the Secretary General of NATO NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson announced on 23 July that the talks he has held with the Permanent Representatives of Greece and Turkey have led to two further confidence-building measures agreements, following an earlier one on mutual notification of exercise schedules. The two countries have agreed on cooperation between their National Defence Colleges, for example in the field of science and on subjects of mutual interest, such as NATO issues, military doctrines, crisis management, peacekeeping, natural disasters, environmental issues and others. They have also agreed on an exchange of personnel for training purposes in the Partnership for Peace (PfP) Training Centres of the two countries. It is proposed, in particular, that three to five Turkish officers should be sent for training to the PfP training centre in Kilkis, and an equivalent number of Greek officers to the PfP training centre in Ankara. The talks will continue with the aim of agreeing additional confidence-building measures on the basis of a list of possible measures that both countries agreed to discuss. A key function of NATO is to provide a forum in which member countries can consult together on security issues and mutual concerns and the Alliance will continue to assist member countries in any such discussions.