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The Reader's Guide to the Nato Summit in Washington

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The Reader's Guide to the Nato Summit in Washington THE READER’S GUIDE TO THE NATO SUMMIT IN WASHINGTON 23 - 25 APRIL 1999 ISBN 92-845-0132-6 Contents 1 Introduction How to use this Guide 7 2 Summing up the Summit The Washington Declaration 11 Washington Summit Communiqué 13 Achievements of the Washington Summit 25 3 NATO in the Balkans Statement on Kosovo 29 Chairman’s Summary of the Meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the Level of Heads of State and Government with Countries in the Region of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 31 Statement following the Meetings of Foreign and Defence Ministers 33 Extracts from the Washington Summit Communiqué on NATO’s Role in the Former Yugoslavia 35 NATO’s Role in Relation to Kosovo 37 NATO’s Role in Bosnia and Herzegovina 43 4 Strategy and Defence The Alliance’s Strategic Concept 47 Defence Capabilities Initiative 61 Background to the Strategic Concept 63 Development of the European Security and Defence Identity (ESDI) within NATO 65 The Combined Joint Task Forces Concept 67 Reform of NATO’s Integrated Military Command Structure 69 5 NATO’s Open Door Membership Action Plan 73 The Accession of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland 81 NATO’s Open Door Policy 83 6 NATO’s Partnership Activities Chairman’s Summary of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council at Summit Level 87 Declaration of the Heads of State and Government Participating in the NATO-Ukraine Commission Summit 89 Further Development of the EAPC 91 Partnership for Peace - An Enhanced and More Operational Partnership 93 NATO and Russia 95 NATO and Ukraine 97 Mediterranean Dialogue 99 Civil Emergency Planning in the Framework of the EAPC 101 The NATO Science Programme 105 3 7 Appendices What is NATO? 109 The Origins of the North Atlantic Council and The Role of Summits in NATO’s History 113 NATO Acronyms and Expressions 117 4 11 Introduction How to use this Guide 5 1 Intr oduction HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE • • • “Here in Washington, we have paid tribute to the achievements of the past and we have shaped a new Alliance to meet the challenges of the future.” from the Washington Summit Communiqué “The crisis in Kosovo represents a fundamental challenge to the values for which NATO has stood since its foundation: democracy, human rights and the rule of law.... We will not allow this campaign of terror to succeed.” from the Washington Statement on Kosovo • • • The Washington Summit took place during an unprecedented period in the history of the Alliance. In April 1999, attention was focused on the Balkans, with NATO engaged in an air campaign in Yugoslavia in support of the political aims of the international community for peace in Kosovo. At the same time, the Alliance, commemorating its 50th Anniversary, welcomed three new members into its ranks and concluded two years of intense work on the ambitious agenda set out at the 1997 Madrid Summit. The documents issued at the Summit reflect these exceptional times. The texts reveal the breadth and depth of work undertaken by the Alliance on a daily basis and underscore NATO’s ability to adapt appro- priately to changing circumstances. Above all, they describe the many facets of the Alliance’s commit- ment to promote peace, stability and freedom and to build a Europe “whole and free, where security and prosperity are shared and indivisible” (from The Washington Declaration). This brochure brings together all official texts and declarations issued in the context of the Washington Summit. Each of these is reproduced in its entirety and represents the formal views of the Alliance and of the countries participating in the various Washington meetings. A number of background texts are also included in this compilation. They provide additional historical information or clarification of Alliance programmes and activities covered by the formal texts, such as the reform of NATO’s military structure and the initiatives designed to further enhance the Partnership for Peace programme. These texts are informal documents, as opposed to formally agreed NATO commu- niqués and declarations, and provide general background information. 7 The materials contained in this brochure are organised thematically, beginning with ‘The Washington 1 Declaration’, the vision statement of the Alliance, and the ‘Washington Summit Communiqué’, which 1 outlines point by point the achievements of the Summit itself. These are general documents describing the overall aims and direction of the Alliance. Reflecting NATO’s deep involvement in the Balkan region, the next section, titled ‘NATO in the oduction Balkans’, gives both official statements and background material on the crisis in Kosovo and on NATO’s Intr role in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Washington, NATO leaders - at times in session with leaders of the twenty-five Partner countries and leaders of countries in the region - focused much of their attention on events unfolding in Yugoslavia, and the Summit documentation reflects this. Next comes a group of texts focused more specifically on strategic and defence matters. This begins with the Strategic Concept, which outlines the purposes and tasks of the Alliance and provides guidelines for developing the capabilities to achieve them. In Washington, the Alliance also issued a statement on a new programme to improve defence capabilities, the Defence Capabilities Initiative. This statement is repro- duced in full after the Strategic Concept. Background papers follow, giving more detailed information on related issues, such as the development of the European Security and Defence Identity (ESDI) within the Alliance and the Reform of NATO’s Integrated Military Command Structure. The participation of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland as full members of the Alliance was a highlight of the Summit. Reflecting NATO’s commitment to keeping the door open, Alliance leaders unveiled a Membership Action Plan, aimed at providing assistance and guidelines to countries aspiring to join the Alliance. Background sheets accompanying this text give more details on the recent accession of the three new members and on NATO’s Open Door Policy. The section entitled ‘NATO’s Partnership Activities’ contains official texts from the Summit of the Euro- Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) and the NATO-Ukraine Summit, with additional background information on these two items as well as on the variety of NATO’s work with its Partner countries. The number and range of Partnership programmes and initiatives underscore the Alliance’s goal of creating “the core of a cooperative security network between NATO and its Partners for the 21st century” (from the Washington Summit Communiqué). Finally, appendices at the end of the booklet give basic back- ground information on NATO, on the origins of the North Atlantic Council and the role of summits in the history of the Alliance, and on special expressions and acronyms in common use. The NATO Office of Information and Press hopes this collection of documents captures the exceptional events surrounding the Washington Summit and provides a valuable resource to scholars, specialists and the general public. 8 22 Summing up the Summit The Washington Declaration • Washington Summit Communiqué • Achievements of the Washington Summit 9 THE WASHINGTON DECLARATION 2 • • • Summing up the Summit Signed and issued by the Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Washington D.C. 23 and 24 April 1999 1. We, the Heads of State and Government of the member countries of the North Atlantic Alliance, declare for a new century our mutual commitment to defend our people, our territory and our liberty, founded on democracy, human rights and the rule of law. The world has changed dramatically over the last half century, but our common values and security interests remain the same. 2. At this anniversary summit, we affirm our determination to continue advancing these goals, building on the habits of trust and co-operation we have developed over fifty years. Collective defence remains the core purpose of NATO. We affirm our commitment to promote peace, sta- bility and freedom. 3. We pay tribute to the men and women who have served our Alliance and who have advanced the cause of freedom. To honour them and to build a better future, we will contribute to building a stronger and broader Euro-Atlantic community of democracies - a community where human rights and fundamental freedoms are upheld; where borders are increasingly open to people, ideas and commerce; where war becomes unthinkable. 4. We reaffirm our faith, as stated in the North Atlantic Treaty, in the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and reiterate our desire to live in peace with all nations, and to settle any international dispute by peaceful means. 5. We must be as effective in the future in dealing with new challenges as we were in the past. We are charting NATO’s course as we enter the 21st century: an Alliance committed to collective defence, capable of addressing current and future risks to our security, strengthened by and open to new members, and working together with other institutions, Partners and Mediterranean Dialogue countries in a mutually reinforcing way to enhance Euro-Atlantic security and stabili- ty. 6. NATO embodies the vital partnership between Europe and North America. We welcome the further impetus that has been given to the strengthening of European defence capabilities to enable the European Allies to act more effectively together, thus reinforcing the transatlantic partnership. 7. We remain determined to stand firm against those who violate human rights, wage war and con- quer territory. We will maintain both the political solidarity and the military forces necessary to protect our nations and to meet the security challenges of the next century. We pledge to improve our defence capabilities to fulfil the full range of the Alliance’s 2lst century missions.
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