Romanian President visits NATO Headquarters

The Romanian President Traian Basescu visited NATO Headquarters and the NATO Secretary General thanked him for his country's active participation in NATO’s operations in Afghanistan and in Kosovo.

NATO AWACS demonstrates worldwide deployability

After months of comprehensive preparation, the first-ever deployment to Australia became a reality when NATO AWACS departed for Exercise Pitch Black, which took place in Darwin from 2 to 27 June.

New Chairman of the NATO Military Committee

Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, former Chief of the Italian Defense Staff, assumed today the position of Chairman of the NATO Military Committee – NATO’s top military officer – from outgoing Canadian Gen. Ray Henault.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland visits NATO

The Finnish Foreign Minister, Mr. Alexander Stubb, visited NATO Headquarters on Friday 27 June 2008. He met with the Secretary General, Mr. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.

Workshop in Azerbaijan focuses on Trust Funds

NATO and the Azeri Ministry of Foreign Affairs conduct a workshop on Partnership for Peace (PfP) Trust Funds on 26 and 27 June in Baku. Over 50 representatives from NATO and partner countries as well as participants from other international organizations will discuss best practices for Trust Fund projects and review the Trust Fund policy.

NATO provides high-tech defences for Afghanistan airports

State of the art technologies for detecting car bombs are being deployed to Afghanistan’s airports as part of a project led by the NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency (NC3A).

NATO Secretary General congratulates Italy on its engagement

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer travelled to Rome to hold talks with the new Italian Government. He met with President Napolitano, Prime Minister Berlusconi, Defence Minister LaRussa and the President of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Senate, Mr Dini.

Kyiv hosts senior-level defence and security sector reform meeting

A senior-level meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Joint Working Group on Defence Reform (JWGDR) took place in Kyiv on 26 June.

NATO completes rocket fuel destruction project in Azerbaijan

The NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme celebrated today in the capital city of Baku the destruction of all remaining stocks of mélange rocket fuel in Azerbaijan.

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Memorandum facilitates cross border transport

The Netherlands Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, Dr. Ter Horst, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Facilitation of Vital Civil Cross Border Transport in the presence of NATO Secretary General on 25 June 2008.

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NATO launches Intensified Dialogue with Montenegro 

A first round of consultations at staff level opened the Intensified Dialogue between NATO and Montenegro on 24 June 2008. The talks covered a broad range of issues, from the Intensified Dialogue process to the expectations NATO has for aspiring countries regarding foreign and domestic policy as well as NATO's current political aSgenda.

NATO week in Armenia

As part of "NATO Week in Armenia", a busy programme of events aimed at raising public awareness of the country's relations with NATO is taking place in the capital Yerevan and a number of regional cities from 23 to 27 June.

Armenia hosts cyber defence seminar

Armenia hosted a Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) seminar on cyber defence in Yerevan, from 23 to 25 June. The aim was to develop a common understanding of cyber attacks, share best practices and suggest practical cooperation on preventing and responding to such attacks.

NATO Secretary General visits Kosovo

NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, travelled to Kosovo on Monday, 23 June 2008.

President of Georgia visits NATO

Mikheil Saakashvili, President of Georgia, visited the NATO headquarters on Friday, 20 June 2008. He met with the Secretary General of NATO, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.

PfP Consortium looks 10 years ahead

NATO Secretary General opened a conference celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Partnership for Peace (PfP) Consortium of Defense Academies and Security Studies Institutes on 18 June 2008.

Milestone agreement signed for Georgia Trust Fund Project

On 18 June 2008 the financial management agreement for the NATO Trust Fund Project with Georgia was signed at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels. The Secretary General's Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia, Robert F. Simmons, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Ms. Eka Tkeshelashvili, attended the event.

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NATO increases support to Afghan forces in Kandahar

On 17 June, NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) deployed additional troops in Kandahar City and in the Arghandab area, southern Afghanistan, to further assist the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF).

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Rome conference to set NATO vision for expeditionary operations

The requirements for mounting current and future military expeditionary operations will be the focus of a high-level meeting of NATO commanders, decision-makers and experts in Rome, Italy, 17-18 June.

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Explosives detection and lightweight armour: update on two NATO Science for Peace projects

Eight members of the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s principal decision-making body, visited the Institute for Single Crystals at the National Academy of Science in Kharkiv, Ukraine on 17 June 2008 to find out more about two NATO Science for Peace projects underway there.

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NATO ambassadors visit regions in Ukraine

Pro-NATO demonstration
© UKRINFORM

Public diplomacy was an integral part of the North Atlantic Council’s visit to Ukraine. Following the first day of their trip in Kyiv, NATO ambassadors accepted the Ukrainian invitation to split into three groups to visit the cities of Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv and Lviv, where they participated in activities jointly organized by local authorities, non-governmental organizations and the NATO Information and Documentation Center.

North Atlantic Council visits Ukraine

© Press Service of the President of Ukraine

The North Atlantic Council, comprising NATO's Secretary General and the 26 NATO ambassadors, visited Ukraine on 16 and 17 June for a series of high-level meetings in Kyiv and to take part in a number of outreach activities in the regions.

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NATO Security Seminar in Algeria

On 16 June 2008, the NATO Deputy Secretary General, H.E. Amb. Claudio Bisogniero, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Algeria, H.E. Mr. Mourad Medelci, the President of the Commission on National Defence and Nation’s Council, Mr. Mustapha Cheloufi and the President of the Commission on National Defence of the National Popular Assembly Mr. Mostefa Abid opened a two-day seminar in Algiers.

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CEPMA celebrates its 50th anniversary

16 June 2008 marks the 50th anniversary of the Central Europe Pipeline Management Agency (CEPMA). This NATO agency provides operational, technical and financial coordination for the management of the Central Europe Pipeline System (CEPS).

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NATO-Ukraine Commission defence ministers meet

Ukrainian Defence Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov met Allied defence ministers at NATO Headquarters on 13 June. Discussions in the NATO-Ukraine Commission (NUC) focused on Ukraine's progress in implementing defence and security sector reforms as well as Ukraine's contribution to security and stability.

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NATO-Russia Council defence ministers meet

Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov met Allied defence ministers at NATO Headquarters on 13 June to discuss defence and military cooperation and current international security issues.

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Ukraine joins NATO Air Situation Data Exchange programme

At the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission at the level of Defence Ministers on 13 June, Ukrainian Defence Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Ukraine’s participation in NATO’s Air Situation Data Exchange (ASDE) programme. Once implemented, the system will facilitate the reciprocal and mutually beneficial exchange of filtered air situation information between NATO and Ukraine.

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Hungary honours the outgoing Chairman of the Military Committee

General Ray Henault, outgoing Chairman of NATO’s Military Committee was awarded the Order of the Merit of the Republic of Hungary (military division) on 13 June at the NATO Hungarian Delegation in Brussels.

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Defence Ministers meet at NATO Headquarters

NATO Defence Ministers met in Brussels on 12-13 June, in their first meeting at ministerial level after the Bucharest Summit. They reviewed the implementation of decisions taken by Heads of State and Government on operations, particularly Afghanistan and Kosovo, and the Alliance’s defence transformation efforts.

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NATO Secretary General attends International Conference on Support of Afghanistan

The Secretary General of NATO, Mr. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, visited Paris on Thursday 12 June 2008 to participate in the International Conference on Support of Afghanistan, hosted by the French Government.

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Photo exhibition illustrates Turkey’s engagement in Afghanistan

Turkey’s ongoing efforts in Afghanistan are at the centre of a photo exhibition held at NATO Headquarters from 10 to 16 June in Brussels.

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New step in the Strategic Airlift Capability project

The Defence Ministers of the Strategic Airlift Capability nations met at NATO Headquarters to review progress and map the way forward to meet the goal of receiving the first aircraft in November 2008.

Increasing Land Expertise in the new NATO Command Structure

From 10 to 12 June 2008 Allied Land Component Command Headquarters Heidelberg conducted a high level conference which promoted open dialogue on issues such as the threats from Islamic insurgencies, religious fundamentalism, the NATO Command Structure and Joint Logistics support.

Members of Parliament from Mauritania visit NATO Headquarters

On 6 June 2008, the NATO Public Diplomacy Division organised a historic visit to NATO HQ of high-level members of the Mauritanian Parliament.

NATO Secretary General’s statement on the Deployment of Russian Railway Troops into Georgia

I am concerned by the current deployment of several hundred Russian military personnel into the Georgian region of Abkhazia, which is contributing to instability in what is already a volatile area.

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General McKiernan assumes command of ISAF

General McKiernan assumed Command of ISAF from US General Dan McNeill during a handover ceremony held on 3 June 2008 in Kabul. The President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General John Craddock and the Commander of the Joint Forces Command (JFC) Brunssum, General Egon Ramms, attended the event.

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Morocco contributes to Operation Active Endeavour

At a ceremony which took place on 2 June at the Headquarters of the Atlantic Alliance in Brussels, the Secretary General of NATO H.E. Mr. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and the Head of the Mission of the Kingdom of Morocco to the European institutions H.E. Mr. Menouar Alem, proceeded to an exchange of letters for the contribution of Morocco to Operation Active Endeavour.

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NATO Secretary General statement on elections in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia¹

 

The NATO Secretary General is deeply concerned by the OSCE Observer Mission's preliminary conclusions that the 1 June elections in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia ¹ did not meet key international standards.

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NATO disaster response exercise kicks off in Finland

© Petri Krook

Exercise “UUSIMAA 2008”, a consequence management field exercise organised by the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) started on 1 June 2008 in Finland.

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NATO Science for Peace Project clears radioactive waste in Kyrgyzstan

In June 2008 a NATO Science for Peace (SfP) project helped with the collection and removal of around 100 kg of radioactive waste from the Minkush settlement in Kyrgyzstan.