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Our meeting today takes place at a pivotal moment in Europe's history. A peace settlement for Bosnia-Herzegovina has been reached. The war in the former Yugoslavia has at last come to an end. New feelings of hope and possibilities of renewal are replacing the despair and devastation of the past four years. We are in the process of consolidating these significant, but still fragile, gains.
All eyes have now turned to the North Atlantic Alliance. The resolve shown by NATO in last September's air campaign demonstrated how the precise use of military force in support of clear and achievable objectives can give impetus to the peace process. Our defence of Sarajevo removed the longstanding threat against that city and its population. The courage and skill of NATO forces in carrying out Operation Deliberate Force have earned praise and admiration throughout the world. Everything we have done, from the enforcement of embargoes to the policing of the No-Fly Zone, has been undertaken with great efficiency and professionalism. It is no surprise that we are once again the focus of expectation when it comes to implementing the peace. The Alliance has the assets, the organisation and command and control arrangements required for success. While leading the Implementation Force for Bosnia will be one of the most complex and challenging operation in our Alliance's history, we have every confidence of success.
Our achievements, both politically and militarily, are the result of one great asset that this Alliance represents above anything else: that is the strength and vitality of the transatlantic link. If there is one major lesson that has been confirmed by the Bosnian conflict, it is that when Europeans and North Americans work together, then diplomacy works. When we fail to coordinate our political and military strategies, diplomacy is not always enough. Today, the Allies are united in their resolve to establish a just and lasting peace in Bosnia.
Since the end of the Cold War, NATO has tried its best to change and adapt to the new situation and challenges, reaching out to its Eastern and Southern neighbours, making its unique assets available for the international community's efforts to contain and manage crises. In fact, working for peace and stability not only for her sixteen members, but for a far wider community.
This process of transformation is continuing, and today's meeting will carry it another significant step further. Success in deploying an Implementation Force will demonstrate that countries - whether Allied or non-Allied, European or non-European - can cooperate in a practical way for the common good. This will be further demonstration of the importance of the Partnership for Peace, whose objectives include developing the capability to undertake missions in the fields of peacekeeping and other operations.
Within less that two years since its inception, the Partnership has become the most successful military cooperation programme in Europe. Still, its scope for development is far from exhausted. Today's meeting, as well as tomorrow's meeting of the North Atlantic Cooperation Council, will give us the opportunity to discuss ways to enhance further this programme.
L'ordre du jour de la presente reunion comporte un autre point important, celui de l'elargissement de notre Alliance. L'extension graduelle de notre Alliance s'inscrit dans le mouvement d'unification de l'Europe, dans un contexte de securite euro-atlantique. L'elargissement de l'OTAN se fera de maniere progressive : aujourd'hui, nous esperons aller de l'avant, en conservant l'elan acquis.
Les relations que nous developpons avec la Russie sont fondamentales pour la cooperation en matiere de securite en Europe. Le fait que la Russie soit disposee a participer a la mise en oeuvre d'un plan de paix agree pour la Bosnie-Herzegovine constitue un pas important dans la bonne direction. Mais ce n'est la qu'un debut. Nous pouvons encore faire davantage pour associer de maniere constructive la Russie a un veritable partenariat. Nous examinerons aujourd'hui la participation de la Russie a la force de mise en oeuvre du plan de paix, l'IFOR, et nous renouvellerons notre offre d'elaboration d'un cadre politique pour nos relations avec ce pays.
Nous progresserons egalement dans nos relations avec l'Ukraine, auxquelles un nouvel elan a ete donne au cours de l'annee ecoulee.
La liste des questions inscrites a l'ordre du jour de l'Alliance s'est considerablement allongee au cours des dernieres annees. Bien que l'adaptation des structures de l'OTAN ne soit pas encore achevee, nous avons realise des progres substantiels dans l'elaboration du concept de groupes de forces interarmees multinationales (GFIM). La mise en oeuvre de ce concept demeure d'une importance cruciale pour le potentiel militaire futur de l'OTAN, comme pour les relations entre l'OTAN et l'UEO.
Nous avons aussi progresse, depuis notre derniere reunion, sur le plan de l'initiative concernant la Mediterranee, et vers notre objectif d'etablissement d'un dialogue et de relations amicales entre notre Alliance et les pays du sud de la Mediterranee. La Jordanie, et nous nous en felicitons, s'est jointe a ce dialogue.
Tout cela demontre que les structures politiques et militaires sans equivalent de l'Alliance conservent toute leur importance pour la paix et la stabilite en Europe. La reunion d'aujourd'hui constituera une nouvelle manifestation de notre determination a utiliser pleinement ces structures, au benefice de toute la zone euro-atlantique.