8 Dec. 2004

NATO celebrates 10th anniversary of Mediterranean Dialogue Events Programme of the Foreign Ministers meeting at NATO HQ on 8 and 9 December 2004 Background NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue & Istanbul Cooperation Initiative Opinions 08/12/04 - NATO Opening remarks by NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer at the working dinner of Ministers of Foreign Affairs Mediterranean Dialogue 08/12/04 - OTAN Remarks by NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer at the press conference after the working dinner of Ministers of Foreign Affairs Mediterranean Dialogue Multimedia 08/12/04 - NATO High resolution photos of the Working dinner 08/12/04 - NATO High resolution photos of the Press conference after the Working dinner 08/12/04 - NATO NATO Secretary General meets with journalists from Mediterranean Dialogue and ICI countries 08/12/04 - NATO Audio file of the opening remarks by NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer at the working dinner of Ministers of Foreign Affairs Mediterranean Dialogue (.MP3/2318Kb) 08/12/04 - NATO Audio file of the remarks by NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer at the press conference after the working dinner of Ministers of Foreign Affairs Mediterranean Dialogue (.MP3/6672Kb) A historical meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers and their counterparts from the Mediterranean Dialogue countries on 8 December in Brussels celebrated 10 years of the security Dialogue. This was the first ever meeting at Ministerial level between NATO and Mediterranean countries and reflects their mutual desire to enhance the political and practical dimensions of the Mediterranean Dialogue. Launched by the Foreign Ministers of the Alliance in December 1994, NATO’s Mediterranean Dialogue has successfully contributed to achieving a better mutual understanding, building confidence and cooperation between NATO and its seven Mediterranean partners: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia. “Against this backdrop, it was only logical to set the bar higher and farther,” said NATO Secretary General Jaap De Hoop Scheffer at the opening of the meeting. Deepening the dialogue At the working dinner, the Ministers discussed the follow-up to the decisions adopted by NATO Heads of State and Government at the June Istanbul Summit. They agreed to take the next step: from Dialogue to real, practical partnership. The expanded and broader framework for the Mediterranean Dialogue will be achieved through enhanced cooperation in a number of practical areas such as: combating terrorism via effective intelligence sharing and maritime cooperation including in the framework of Operation Active Endeavour; contributing to the Alliance's work on threats posed by weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery; promoting cooperation in areas where NATO can add value like, for example, in the field of border security. “This is about finding practical ways of working together. Of sharing intelligence, of increasing the interoperability of our forces. Of the possibility for Mediterranean Dialogue partners of support Operation Active Endeavour in the Mediterranean, if they so wish,” Mr. De Hoop Scheffer said during a press conference after the dinner.