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NATOreview CONTENTS Summer/Autumn - Volume 48 3 Letter from the Secretary General 4 Focus on NATO © NATO Special 6 Italy in the Balkans To mark the visit of Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi to NATO, Ambassador Amedeo de Franchis examines Italy’s policy towards the Balkans. Croatia 8 Making up for lost time Ivica Racan describes the revolution that has taken place in Croatian policy this year and his aspirations for the future. 10 Cultivating Croatia’s military Kristan J. Wheaton describes how NATO countries helped prepare the Croatian military for the transition from authoritarian to democratic rule. Southeastern Europe 13 A European vision for the Balkans Cover photo: Lord Robertson (left), Italian President Chris Patten examines the challenges facing the European Union in Ciampi and Ambassador de Franchis (right) at NATO, southeastern Europe and analyses current policies to meet them. 5 May. 16 Commanding KFOR General Klaus Reinhardt reflects on KFOR’s contribution to the Kosovo peace process and highlights difficulties that lie ahead. Documentation on-line 20 Balkan breakthrough? Christopher Bennett assesses the prospects for democratic change and self- NATO communiqués are published sustaining peace and stability in the former Yugoslavia. on NATO’s web site almost as soon 23 Romanian reflections as they have been agreed and can be Radu Bogdan considers Romania’s aspirations to join the European Union and found in all Alliance languages as NATO and the reform programme currently underway in his country. well as Russian and Ukranian. As a result, they will no longer appear in 26 Helping Albania manage munitions NATO Review. Richard Williams describes how a NATO-led team is helping Albania deal with unexploded munitions and explosives, which have killed scores of people. Anybody used to receiving NATO Military matters communiqués via NATO Review, 28 Shaping soldiers for the 21st century unable to get this information from Chris Donnelly examines the difficulties all European militaries face to meet the the Internet or other sources, can challenge of the 21st century, focusing on the armies of central and eastern continue to receive them by mail by Europe, where the need for reform is most urgent. writing to the editor at: 32 Harnessing technology for coalition warfare NATO Office of Information and Press Joseph J. Eash III explains how the rapid integration of advanced technologies 1110 Brussels, Belgium into war-fighting systems helped the Allies during the Kosovo campaign. Published under the authority of the Secretary General, French (Revue de l’OTAN), German (NATO Brief), Greek Canada: Foreign Policy Communications Division this magazine is intended to contribute to a constructive (Deltio NATO), Hungarian (NATO Tükor), Italian (Rivista Department of Foreign Affairs and Int’l Trade discussion of Atlantic issues. Articles, therefore, do not della NATO), Norwegian (NATO Nytt), Polish (Przeglad 125 Sussex Drive necessarily represent official opinion or policy of mem- NATO), Portuguese (Noticias da OTAN), Spanish (Revista Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G2 ber governments or NATO. de la OTAN) and Turkish (NATO Dergisi). One issue a United Kingdom: Communication Planning Unit year is published in Icelandic (NATO Fréttir) and issues Ministry of Defence Articles may be reproduced, after permission has been are also published in Russian and Ukrainian on an occa- Room 0370 Main Building obtained from the editor, provided mention is made of sional basis. London SW1A 2HB NATO Review and signed articles are reproduced with the author’s name. United States: NATO Review - US Mission to NATO NATO Review is also published on the World Wide PSC 81 Box 200 - APO AE 09724 NATO Review is published periodically in English, as well Web along with other NATO publications at as in Czech, Danish (NATO Nyt), Dutch (NAVO Kroniek), http://www.nato.int. Requests from other countries or for other NATO publications should be sent to: Hard copy editions of the magazine may be obtained free NATO Office of Information and Press ISSN 0255-3813 of charge by readers in the following countries from the 1110 Brussels, Belgium addresses given below: Fax: (32-2) 707.4579; E-mail: [email protected] Publisher: Director of Information and Press - NATO, 1110 Brussels, Belgium Layout: NATO Graphics Studio - Printed in Belgium by Hayez Imprimeurs © NATO Letter from the Secretary General Building stability in the Balkans Our challenge in the Balkans, as an international community, is simple: to build a new © NATO southeastern Europe, where each and every country shares peace and democracy, and plays a part in Euro-Atlantic institutions. Given recent history, that may seem a daunting challenge indeed, but since I took up my position as Secretary General almost a year ago, I have seen major progress. The transformation which has taken place this year in Croatia, the steady progress of the peace process in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the stabilisation of Kosovo, and the renewed international commitment to the region give cause for optimism. To fulfil this promise, we must continue to promote integration. The clearest lesson of the past half-century in Europe is that integration breeds trust, stability and prosperity. As a result, all of southeastern Europe must be given the opportunity to join Euro-Atlantic structures and become part of the European mainstream. Put differently, integration is the ultimate way to prevent further conflict and build stability. Together with the countries of the region, therefore, we have to work towards comprehensive solutions to the problems of southeastern Europe. Serving together in the NATO-led forces in Bosnia and Kosovo are soldiers from countries, which during the Cold War – just ten years ago – prepared for war against each other. Today, these former antagonists are working together towards common goals. Croatia’s entry into the Partnership for Peace is only further evidence of change. This new spirit of cooperation demonstrates that progress is possible, that former enemies can be reconciled, and that the benefits of freedom and democracy can be shared. The European Union’s Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe and NATO’s own South East Europe Initiative together aim to create the conditions for economic growth, democratic government and security throughout the Balkans. The logic which underpins these programmes is similar to that which inspired both the Marshall Plan and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in the 1940s, which together helped Western Europe get back on its feet and become an area of stability and prosperity. No one should harbour any illusions that reconciliation between ethnic groups or economic prosperity can be achieved overnight in the Balkans. But we must remember that both the Marshall Plan and NATO were long- term projects whose success only became apparent with the years. The key is that we stay the course, that we devote the time and resources to southeastern Europe that the region merits, and that we provide the security framework so that the various peace processes become self-sustaining and democracy is able to take root. It will then be up to a new generation of local leaders to take their countries forward with confidence into the 21st century. Lord Robertson 3 NATO review Summer/Autumn 2000 NAC’s Balkan tour War crimes suspect This year’s Manfred Wörner Between 20 May and 10 June, The North Atlantic Council snatched Fellowship, worth 800,000 Italy, Greece and Turkey hosted (NAC), NATO’s senior decision- War crimes suspect, Dusko Belgian francs, went to Dynamic Mix 2000, an exercise making body comprised of the 19 Sikirica, was snatched in Bosnia Alexander Yuschenko of Kharkov involving some 15,000 trooops, NATO ambassadors, Secretary by SFOR peacekeepers on 25 State Polytechnic University in 65 ships and 290 aircraft from 14 General Lord Robertson and June and transferred to the Ukraine for his project entitled NATO countries. Participants Admiral Guido Venturoni, the International War Crimes Intellectual Modelling of rehearsed humanitarian interven- chairman of NATO’s Military Tribunal in The Hague. Sikirica, a Information Management of tion, deployment, re-deployment O Committee, made a fact-finding former commander of the Political Mentality Dynamics of and combined land, sea and air tour of the Balkans between 17 Keraterm prison camp, is Social Ukrainian Strata Towards operations. and 19 July to review the state of accused of genocide, violation of NATO. T the peace processes in Kosovo the laws and customs of war and Florence détente and Bosnia. grave breaches of the Geneva Some 400 sea rescue specialists Russian Foreign Minister Igor Conventions. from 16 NATO and Partner coun- Ivanov attended the NATO- Croatian President Stipe Mesic tries took part in Cooperative Russian Permanent Joint visited NATO on 17 July and dis- EU leaders identified principles Safeguard 2000, a Partnership Council meeting in Florence, cussed with Lord Robertson for consultation with NATO on for Peace exercise, in Iceland Italy, on 24 May for the first time political changes in his country military issues and ways to devel- between 7 and 12 June focusing since NATO’s air campaign since he came to power. op EU-NATO relations at their on maritime humanitarian opera- against Yugoslavia. two-day summit in Feira, tions. Lord Robertson visited Central Portugal, on 19 and 20 June. Croatia became the 46th member Asia between 3 and 7 July and Defence ministers’ of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership met Kazakhstan’s President Five NATO and nine Partner coun- acknowledgement Council after joining the Partner- Nursultan Nazarbayev, tries rehearsed peace support NATO defence ministers meeting ship for Peace on 25 May. Uzbekistan’s Prime Minister operations in Tirana between 21 in Brussels, Belgium, on 8 June Utkur Sultanov, and President June and 1 July in an exercise acknowledged the need to do A Weapons of Mass Destruction Askar Akaev of the Kyrghyz called Cooperative Dragon 2000.