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Item 1: Partnership and Cooperation
Thanks to the excellent opening remarks by Foreign Secretary Rifkind and Minister Saudargas, our discussion has been greatly facilitated. I can, therefore, focus only on some issues.
The internal as well as external adaptation of NATO undoubtedly sets a broader perspective of the PfP enhancement and the desirable NACC review. It is in this context that I wish to stress that we welcome the results of the yesterday's session of the North Atlantic Council. The NATO summit next July will be a historic opportunity to reaffirm the crucial role the Alliance has played in the security order on our continent.

We believe that several goals will be reached by the time of the Madrid Summit:

First, the Czech Republic would like to see the internal adaptation of the Alliance completed; we are sincerely interested in it.

Second, the summit should be a definitive confirmation of the Alliance's openness and its relevance for the 21th century. We noted with satisfaction that the summit will invite one or more Partner countries to enter into accession talks. The continuation of the individual dialogue with NATO would only facilitate this process.

Third, strengthened cooperative links with partner countries should be worked out, namely through enhancing the PfP and through establishing the Atlantic Partership Council.

Fourth, the Alliance s relations with Russia should be put on a new and stable footing reflected in an enduring security partnership, but not at any cost.
The 21st-century PfP should continue to provide space for active involvement of all. At the same time, it should also facilitiate a more intensive preparation for NATO membership for those who demonstrate their determination. The Czech Republic has made suggestions as to the content of the future enhanced PfP in the discussions which have taken place since our last ministerial meeting.

A strengthened political dimension, involving namely upgraded mechanisms for consultation, is in our view an element indispensable to the new PfP. The Atlantic Partnership Council seems to provide an appropriate framework in this regard. We feel the APC would be a promising replacement for the NACC framework.

In the military sphere, the PfP should be adjusted so as to enable joint preparation and training for all desirable contigencies. If we embrace this as a common goal, other steps will logically ensue, e.g.:

partners involvement in the Alliance's planning procedures and corresponding changes in PARP,

decentralization of military cooperation and

establishing liaison in the Alliance's regional commands.
It is of utmost importance for partners to be involved as early as possible in the implementation of the CJTF, in the spirit of the Berlin decisions. We understand the complexity of the relevant preparations, all the more, we are strongly interested in their success.

The Czech Republic intends to contribute to the preparations for the enhanced Partnership by hosting a seminar in Prague in early spring 1997. The event should be a good occasion to discuss and fine-tune the modalitites of 21st century PfP. I take this opportunity to cordially invite the representatives of all countries to this seminar. The XIV. NATO Workshop to be held in Prague shortly before the July Summit could provide an interesting forum as well.