Cablegate: Final Statement of the Nato Foreign Ministerial
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 USNATO 000569
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STATE FOR EUR/RPM
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL NATO MOPS MARR MCAP MASS AF KV MW BK
SR, UP, GG, MK, RS, XG, XF
SUBJECT: FINAL STATEMENT OF THE NATO FOREIGN MINISTERIAL
HELD ON DECEMBER 3-4
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1. (U) NATO Foreign Ministers issued the following statement
following statement at the conclusion of their December 3-4
meeting in Brussels:
BEGIN TEXT
Meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of Foreign
Ministers held at NATO Headquarters, Brussels, on 4 December
2009
1. We, the Foreign Ministers of the member countries of the
Alliance, recalled the historic events that took place in
Europe in 1989 and the tremendous progress made since then
towards a Europe united, peaceful and free. The Alliance's
broad agenda contributes in many significant ways to
defending and promoting security and stability in the Euro
Atlantic area and beyond. Having reconfirmed our previous
decisions and positions on the full range of Alliance issues,
we have on this occasion focused on Afghanistan, Open Door
issues, NATO's relations with Russia, missile defence, and
our new Strategic Concept.
2. We pay tribute to the professionalism and dedication of
the men and women from Allied and other nations who are
serving in NATO's missions and operations. We extend our
deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of the
fallen and the injured.
3. Our UN mandated Afghanistan mission (ISAF) remains NATO's
key priority, and we have issued with our ISAF partners a
separate statement reinforcing our commitment to it. Our
KFOR mission in Kosovo, on the basis of United Nations
Security Council Resolution 1244, is making a gradual,
conditions based transition to a deterrent posture, which we
will keep under political review.
4. In accordance with Article 10 of the Washington Treaty,
NATO's door will remain open to all European democracies
which share the values of our Alliance, which are willing and
able to assume the responsibilities and obligations of
membership, and whose inclusion can contribute to common
security and stability.
5. We believe that Euro Atlantic integration remains the
most effective way to bring lasting stability and prosperity
to the strategically important Western Balkans.
6. We remain committed to seeing the former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia (footnote 1) seated at our table as a
member of the Alliance. An invitation to start accession
talks will be extended as soon as a mutually acceptable
solution to the name issue has been reached.
7. Montenegro has made substantial progress in reform, and
continues to contribute actively to security in the region.
On that basis, we are pleased today to invite Montenegro to
move towards NATO membership by joining the Membership Action
Plan (MAP). We will continue, through the MAP, to support
Montenegro's reforms.
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8. Bosnia and Herzegovina has made substantial progress in
cooperation with NATO and we welcome its MAP application and
the broad national consensus behind it. We urge Bosnia and
Herzegovina's political leaders to continue to work together
to pursue national integration and improve the efficiency and
self reliance of state level institutions. We also urge
Bosnia and Herzegovina to take full advantage of ongoing
cooperation with NATO including through its Intensified
Dialogue and its current Individual Partnership Action Plan
(IPAP) cycle, in the areas of political, defence, security,
military, public information and resource issues. We affirm
our support for Bosnia and Herzegovina's participation in MAP
and its aspiration for NATO membership. We have decided that
Bosnia and Herzegovina will join MAP once it achieves the
necessary progress in its reform efforts. We task the
Council in Permanent Session to keep Bosnia and Herzegovina's
progress on reform under active review. Allies will continue
to support Bosnia and Herzegovina's reforms.
9. We welcome recent steps by Serbia to enhance its
cooperation with the Alliance. In accordance with our vision
for the region, the Alliance will continue to be open to the
fullest possible political dialogue and practical cooperation
with Serbia. We acknowledge significant progress in Serbia's
cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the
former Yugoslavia (ICTY). We expect Serbia to maintain its
efforts in cooperating with ICTY in order to achieve
additional positive results, the most critical issue being
the apprehension of the remaining fugitives.
10. At their Summit in Strasbourg/Kehl, our Heads of State
and Government reaffirmed their decision that Georgia and
Ukraine will become members of NATO; that commitment remains
firm. They also noted that, without prejudice to further
decisions that must be taken about MAP, the development of
Annual National Programmes will help Georgia and Ukraine in
advancing their reforms. We commend both countries on the
finalisation of their first Annual National Programmes and
the start of their implementation, recognising their efforts
in this regard. We are maximising our advice, assistance and
support for their reform efforts in the framework of the NATO
Ukraine Commission and NATO Georgia Commission, which play a
central role in supervising the process set in hand at the
Bucharest Summit.
11. We reaffirm that NATO's partnerships are an essential
part of the Alliance's purposes and tasks, and are of key
value to strengthen our joint commitment to cooperative
security. In preparing for the Lisbon Summit, Allies intend,
in consultation with partners, to work towards enhancing our
partnership policy, while preserving the specificity of each
partnership. (footnote 2)
12. The NATO Russia partnership has the potential to
contribute strategically to security in the Euro Atlantic
area and beyond. Allies welcome today's formal resumption,
at Ministerial level, of dialogue and cooperation with
Russia. We remain committed to taking the NATO Russia
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Council forward to make it a more efficient and valuable
instrument for political dialogue on all issues of common
interest and concern, including those where NATO and Russia
disagree, and for improved practical cooperation. There are
many priority areas for enhancing our practical cooperation,
including Afghanistan, counter narcotics, the fight against
terrorism, counter piracy, missile defence, and non
proliferation, arms control and disarmament. We have agreed
to conduct with Russia a joint review of NATO and Russia's
21st century common security challenges. We recall the
commitment of NATO and Allies at the Strasbourg/Kehl Summit
to be open to dialogue on a broad, cooperative approach to
Euro Atlantic security. We welcome, in this context, the
decision taken at the December 2009 OSCE Ministerial meeting
in Athens to continue work in the Corfu Process. Allies are
prepared to engage actively in this process in the OSCE.
13. NATO Russia relations depend on trust and fulfilment of
commitments. In contributing to building that trust we will
continue to be transparent about our military training and
exercises and look to Russia to reciprocate. We reaffirm the
OSCE principles on which the security of Europe is based, and
reiterate our continued support for the territorial integrity
and sovereignty of Georgia within its internationally
recognised borders. We continue to call on Russia to reverse
its recognition of the South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions of
Georgia as "independent states". We encourage all
participants in the Geneva talks to play a constructive role
as well as to continue working closely with the OSCE, the
United Nations and the European Union to pursue peaceful
conflict resolution on Georgia's territory. We urge Russia
to meet its commitments with respect to Georgia, as mediated
by the European Union on 12 August (footnote 3) and 8
September 2008. The Alliance will continue to assess
developments in relations with Russia. We reaffirm the
Alliance's continued commitment as contained in the
Strasbourg/Kehl Summit Declaration to the CFE Treaty Regime
with all its elements. We are prepared for intensified
efforts in cooperation with Russia in 2010 to find a way
forward on the basis of the Parallel Actions Package. NATO
CFE Allies will continue to provide their annual information
exchange this year, and we call upon Russia to do the same.
However, not taking this opportunity could make it difficult
for us to provide information to Russia in the future.
14. The proliferation of ballistic missiles poses an
increasing threat to Allies' populations, territory and
forces. Given the central importance of the Alliance's
collective defence mission to ensure our security and protect
our populations, territory and forces against the threat of
armed attack, including from ballistic missiles, missile
defence plays an important role for the Alliance as part of a
broader response to counter ballistic missile threats. We
welcome the new phased adaptive approach of the United States
to missile defence, which further reinforces NATO's central
role in missile defence in Europe. This approach would
further anchor European missile defence work in NATO, which
continues to bear in mind the principle of the indivisibility
of Alliance security as well as NATO solidarity.
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15. NATO's current Theatre Missile Defence programme
(ALTBMD) will facilitate the integration of missile defence
elements from nations in order to protect deployed troops.
Heads of State and Government, at their last Summit, tasked
the Council in Permanent Session to identify and undertake
the policy, military and technical work related to a possible
expanded role of the Theatre Missile Defence programme beyond
the protection of NATO deployed forces to include territorial
missile defence. Such a role would be a key milestone
towards providing territorial missile defence in Europe.
16. Heads of State and Government, at their last Summit,
tasked the Council in Permanent Session, taking into account
the Bucharest Summit tasking, to present recommendations
comprising architecture alternatives for consideration at the
next Summit; these should draw upon the work already done and
the United States' phased adaptive approach. If the Alliance
decides to develop a NATO missile defence capability in
Europe to protect populations and territory, the United
States' phased adaptive approach would provide a valuable
national contribution to that capability and, thus, to
Alliance security.
17. We continue to support increased cooperation between
NATO and Russia on missile defence including maximum
transparency and reciprocal confidence building measures. We
reaffirm the Alliance's readiness to explore the potential
for linking United States, NATO and Russian missile defence
systems at an appropriate time. The United States' new
approach provides enhanced possibilities to do this.
18. We have noted the reports on Raising NATO's Profile in
the Field of Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation;
on the Action Plan on Proposals to Develop and Implement
NATO's Contribution to a Comprehensive Approach; and on
Progress Achieved in the Implementation of NATO's Role in
Energy Security. We task the Council in Permanent Session to
continue its work on these important topics.
19. We are committed to renewing our Alliance to better
address today's threats and to anticipate tomorrow's risks.
At their Strasbourg/Kehl Summit, our Heads of State and
Government tasked the Secretary General to develop a new
Strategic Concept and submit proposals for its implementation
for approval at the next Summit, keeping the Council in
Permanent Session involved throughout the process. We have
discussed the preliminary work of the Group of Experts which
is helping to lay the ground for the Alliance's new Strategic
Concept. This work has so far covered the changing
international security environment; NATO's fundamental tasks;
relations with other nations and organisations; and internal
reform. We thank the Group for the work it has done until
now, and encourage its continued close consultations with all
Allies. We look forward to discussing the Group's findings
at our informal meeting next April in Tallinn. We encourage
all our partners to continue to present their views on our
new Strategic Concept during its elaboration. The new
Strategic Concept will play an important role in guiding and
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shaping a 21st century Alliance to face existing and emerging
threats and challenges, while maintaining strong collective
defence.
20. The Alliance's new Strategic Concept will also provide
general guidance on NATO reform. Reform is an ongoing
process aimed at preserving and improving NATO's ability to
conduct its full spectrum of missions. Reform should also
enhance performance and optimise the use of resources by
creating a lean, more effective organisation, while
respecting that NATO is a consensus based organisation. We
welcome the progress already made in reforming NATO
Headquarters on the basis of the decisions taken at the
Strasbourg/Kehl Summit. The Council in Permanent Session has
been mandated to take the necessary decisions to implement
these reforms as quickly as possible. We look forward to a
preliminary report at our Tallinn meeting. A report on
implementation will be reviewed at the Lisbon Summit.
-- footnote 1: Turkey recognises the Republic of Macedonia
with its constitutional name.
-- footnote 2: Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council
(EAPC)/Partnership for Peace (PfP) Partners, Mediterranean
Dialogue (MD), Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) and
other partners across the globe.
-- footnote 3: As complemented by President Sarkozy's
clarifications and correspondence on this issue.
END TEXT
2. (U) COMMENT: In a break from the past, Allies -- at the
urging of Secretary General Rasmussen -- agreed to limit this
statement to only those issues actually scheduled to be
discussed by ministers or in which some sort of substantive
change -- such as the move to deterrent presence in Kosovo --
needed to be noted. The lack of a reference to a particular
subject in this statement should not be interpreted to
indicate that the subject has fallen off NATO's agenda. As
para 1 of the Statement notes, Allies reaffirmed previous
decisions on the range of other issues. END COMMENT
DAALDER