Written evidence submitted by the UK Delegation
to NATO
INTRODUCTION
1. At the request of the Foreign Affairs
Committee, the UK Delegation to NATO submits the following memorandum
as a contribution to the Committee's inquiry into the situation
in the Western Balkans. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has
already submitted a memorandum providing a comprehensive overview
of UK policy towards the Western Balkans. This memorandum provides
more detail on certain aspects of NATO's policy and activities
in the region. Attached at Annex A are relevant extracts from
the Communiqué issued by Heads of State and Government
at the June 2004 Istanbul Summit, which include the most recent
high level NATO statement of policy in the region. For the purposes
of this Memorandum, "Western Balkans" is defined as
Serbia and Montenegro including Kosovo, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Macedonia and Albania.
2. NATO's involvement in the Western Balkans
encompasses NATO-led military operations and outreach programmes
which promote cooperation and reform in the region. The UK is
a strong supporter of and contributor to NATO's activities in
both these areas. Through both forms of engagement, NATO's aim
is to foster peace, security and stability for the countries of
the region, based on respect for human rights, democracy and the
rule of law, and to assist their integration into Euro-Atlantic
structures.
NATO-LED OPERATIONS
3. Since 1995, when NATO military action
and the deployment of IFOR helped to secure a peace settlement
in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), NATO-led Operations have played
a crucial role in safeguarding security and building stability
in the Western Balkans, as part of a wider engagement by the International
Community. The FCO Memorandum to the Committee gave detailed information
about the evolution of NATO's operations in the region.
4. In BiH, the progress made since IFOR
was deployed in December 1995 has been remarkable. The NATO Spring
2004 Periodic Mission Review (PMR) for the Balkans assessed that
SFOR (currently over 850 personnel) should be able to successfully
complete its mission by the end of the year, handing over to a
new and distinct EU mission based on the Berlin Plus arrangements.
NATO's long term political commitment to BiH will continue, in
the form of a NATO Headquarters, which will primarily give advice
on defence reform, as well as carry out operational tasks such
as counter-terrorism, force protection, supporting the International
Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in detaining
persons indicted for war crimes, and intelligence sharing with
the EU. NATO and the EU have agreed an outline delineation of
tasks between the NATO HQ and the future EUFOR. We are confident
that the two Commanders will establish a close working relationship.
5. This year's Spring PMR was shared with
the EU, to ensure full transparency. There are regular staff contacts
between NATO and the EU, and BiH is also discussed by senior representatives
of the NATO and EU nations in regular joint meetings of the North
Atlantic Council and the EU's Political and Security Committee.
6. NATO also contributes to the work of
the Contact Group on Kosovo, represented by Deputy Assistant Secretary
General Ambassador Robert Serry.
7. Following the outbreak of violence in
Kosovo in March this year, it was decided that further planned
reductions in KFOR numbers (currently around 200) and the transition
of MNB(C) to a task force structure should be put on hold and
that the disposition of forces and structures should be reviewed
in the Autumn PMR.
8. Although KFOR reacted quickly to the
March violence, a "Lessons Learned" exercise carried
out by NATO highlighted several areas where changes were needed
in order to enhance KFOR's ability to react more effectively in
the event of further outbreaks. The UK attaches particular importance
to the work currently in hand to reduce restrictive national caveats
on the use of forces serving with KFOR, particularly in crowd
and riot control and to fill the Combined Joint Statement of Requirements
(CJSOR).
9. At the Istanbul Summit in June 2004,
Heads of State and Government agreed a new NATO policy on Combating
Trafficking in Human Beings. The UK is actively supporting NATO's
implementation of this policy.
10. Several Western Balkans countries have
themselves contributed to NATO-led Operations. Albania currently
has around 70 troops serving in SFOR, and 20 in ISAF. Croatia
currently has about 45 troops in ISAF, while Macedonia has around
25 troops in ISAF.
NATO'S OUTREACH
PROGRAMMES
11. NATO's mission in the Western Balkans
extends beyond military operations. The Alliance is also working
to promote longer-term stability, security, and reform through
its outreach programmes, particularly the Euro-Atlantic Partnership
Council (EAPC) and the Partnership for Peace (PfP).
12. Croatia, Albania and Macedonia are all
members of PfP and participants in NATO's Membership Action Plan
(MAP) process. Through the MAP, the Alliance assesses, evaluates
and provides feedback on the reforms required to join NATO, including
scrutiny of political reforms, democratic development and the
rule of law, and defence and security sector reforms.
13. Albania joined the PfP in 1994 and has
participated in the MAP since 1999. Albania also hosts a NATO
Senior Military Representative and NATO Headquarters, whose functions
include monitoring lines of Communications for KFOR, advising
the Albanian authorities on border security and smuggling interdiction,
and contributing to NATO PfP programmes in Albania. Albania has
made progress under the MAP, including in carrying out a defence
review, beginning defence restructuring and playing a positive
role in regional cooperation. Allies continue to urge Albania
to accelerate reforms, particularly in building a responsible
democratic political culture, fighting organised crime, trafficking
and corruption, implementing judicial, electoral and administrative
reforms, and maintaining focus and funding for defence reform.
The UK's defence cooperation programme with Albania contributes
directly to the MAP process, covering issues such as English-language
training, staff courses and courses in defence management. We
have also supported small arms destruction through bilateral assistance
and through a NATO Trust Fund.
14. Croatia joined the PfP in 2000 and has
participated in the MAP since 2002. Croatia has made progress
in a number of areas, including by demonstrating democratic political
stability. Through the MAP, Allies have pressed Croatia to maintain
full cooperation with the ICTY, including by making greater efforts
to apprehend former General Ante Gotovina. Allies have also urged
Croatia to make further progress across the reform agenda, including
on judicial reform, rights of minorities, returning refugees,
and implementing defence restructuring and downsizing. The UK
supports Croatia's MAP reforms through the bilateral defence cooperation
programme, including through provision of a special defence advisor
to the Croatian Ministry of Defence.
15. Macedonia joined the PfP in 1995 and
the MAP process in 1999. NATO has played a key role in fostering
security in Macedonia since the inter-ethnic conflict of 2001,
and the subsequent deployment of NATO forces in Macedonia until
the end of 2002. The historic handover of NATO's Operation Amber
Fox to the EU's Operation Concordia in 2002 marked the first use
of the Berlin Plus arrangements. NATO continues actively to work
for stability in Macedonia, including through a NATO Headquarters
in Skopje. The functions of the Headquarters include advising
on defence reform aspects of the MAP, advice on border security
reform, support to KFOR and co-ordination with the EU presence
in the country. A British Brigadier is the Commander of NATO HQ
Skopje and is double hatted as the NATO Senior Military Representative
to Macedonia. There is no longer a NATO Civilian Representative
in Macedonia, the last having departed in 2004.
16. Since embarking on MAP, Macedonia has
made encouraging progress on defence reform and restructuring,
including a Strategic Defence Review carried out with UK support.
Under the MAP, Allies have urged Macedonia to make continued progress
and for rapid, effective implementation of reforms, including
fully implementing the Ohrid Framework Agreement which ended the
2001 crisis, developing democratic political stability, harmonious
relations between ethnic groups, security and rule of law, and
implementation of defence reform. The NATO Secretary General gave
press interviews on 4 October where he re-iterated that the proposed
referendum on the territorial division of local self-government
was a matter for Macedonia, highlighted the importance that the
International Community place upon the Ohrid agreement and need
to respect territorial integrity.
17. The three countries' participation in
the MAP has created opportunities for additional regional cooperation.
For example, on 2 May 2003, Albania, Croatia, Macedonia and the
USA signed a Charter for Partnership ("Adriatic Charter"),
which set as a shared goal the full integration of the three countries
into European and transatlantic political, economic, security
and defence institutions. With UK support, this has been followed
up with cooperation between the three countries, including an
action plan covering exchange of information, consultations and
defence cooperation. The three countries are currently considering
forming a combined military unit to be deployed in NATO-led operations.
18. The NATO Summit in Istanbul kept open
the prospect of NATO membership for all three countries, but made
clear that this was unlikely in the near future. While underlining
Allies' wish to see all three countries succeed, and committing
Allies to continue to assist in the Aspirants' reform efforts,
the summit also made clear that further efforts were needed and
that NATO would continue to assess each country's candidacy based
on progress towards reform goals under the MAP.
19. Serbia and Montenegro (SaM) and BiH
have yet to obtain PfP membership, largely due to their lack of
co-operation with ICTY. The UK Government looks forward to welcoming
SaM and BiH into PfP once they have met the established conditions.
In preparation for their eventual accession to PfP, NATO has undertaken
outreach with both countries to support reform and build confidence.
20. Since 1996 NATO has conducted a Security
Co-operation Programme with BiH to promote cooperation between
the armed forces of the entities in BiH, contribute to stability
in BiH and the region, and to assist in preparing BiH for eventual
integration into Euro-Atlantic structures. The Programme has become
a significant contributor to security sector reform in BiH and
has contributed to the work of the Defence Reform Commission,
through activities such as workshops and expert visits to BiH,
and BiH participation in selected PfP activities, mainly NATO
courses. The NATO headquarters, which will be established in Sarajevo
when SFOR completes its mission, will play a key role in implementing
the cooperation programme.
21. NATO initiated a tailored co-operation
programme with SaM in 2003 covering defence and security sector
reform, civil emergency planning, base conversion and social re-integration
of redundant officers. Activities under the programme included
seminars, expert team missions and SaM officers attending selected
PfP activities. The programme has made a valuable contribution
to encouraging defence reform and building confidence with the
SaM defence establishment. As NATO's designated Contact Point
Embassy from 2002 to September 2004, the British Embassy in Belgrade
was able to play an active role in helping to develop and implement
the NATO programme.
22. The UK has been active in wider NATO
outreach in the Western Balkans. For example, the UK was instrumental
in organising a series of EAPC workshops on border security in
the region, the most recent in Tirana in January 2003. The UK
has also been an active contributor to NATO's South East Europe
Initiative (SEEI), aimed at promoting regional cooperation and
long-term stability in the Balkans. Launched at the Alliance's
1999 Washington Summit, SEEI includes countries in the region
who are not members of EAPC and PfP—namely BiH and SaM.
Examples of projects undertaken under the initiative include a
web-based document database for the region, and a UK-sponsored
study of the Defence policies of countries in the region.
UK Delegation to NATO
5 October 2004
Annex A
Relevant extracts from the Istanbul Summit Communiqu
dealing with the Western Balkans as issued
by the Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting
of the North Atlantic Council in June 2004
(. . .)
Today, we have:
(. . .)
agreed to conclude the Alliance's successful
SFOR operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and welcomed the readiness
of the European Union to deploy a new and distinct UN-mandated
Chapter VII mission in the country, based on the Berlin+ arrangements
agreed between our two organisations;
confirmed that a robust KFOR presence remains
essential to further enhance security and promote the political
process in Kosovo;
(. . .)
reaffirmed that NATO's door remains open to
new members, and encouraged Albania, Croatia and the former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia to continue the reforms necessary to progress
towards NATO membership;
(. . .)
The security environment in the strategically
important region of the Balkans is stable but remains fragile.
The Alliance remains committed to peace and stability in the Balkans,
and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all the countries
in the region. We will remain committed until peace and security
are firmly established and the progressive integration of all
Balkan countries into Euro-Atlantic structures is achieved. All
the countries of the region must assume ownership of, and implement,
pressing reforms. Closer cooperation in their own region will
help to promote stability and prosperity. While welcoming improvement
in cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the
Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), where it has occurred, we stress that
all countries concerned must cooperate fully with the ICTY, in
particular bringing to justice all those who are indicted by the
Tribunal, notably Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, as well as
Ante Gotovina, in accordance with United Nations Security Council
Resolutions 1503 and 1534.
As the security situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina
has evolved positively, we have decided to conclude the Alliance's
successful SFOR operation by the end of this year. We welcome
the readiness of the European Union to deploy a new and distinct
UN-mandated robust Chapter VII mission in the country, based on
the Berlin+ arrangements agreed between our two organisations,
and look forward to continued close cooperation. NATO's long-term
political commitment to Bosnia and Herzegovina remains unchanged
and the establishment of a NATO headquarters will constitute NATO's
residual military presence in the country. NATO HQ Sarajevo, which
has the principal task of providing advice on defence reform,
will also undertake certain operational supporting tasks, such
as counter-terrorism whilst ensuring force protection; supporting
the ICTY, within means and capabilities, with regard to the detention
of persons indicted for war crimes; and intelligence sharing with
the EU. The Dayton/Paris Accords remain in force as the basis
for peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In Kosovo, a robust KFOR presence remains essential
to further enhance security and promote the political process.
We reaffirm our commitment to a secure, stable and multi-ethnic
Kosovo, on the basis of full implementation of United Nations
Security Council Resolution 1244, the agreed Standards before
Status Policy and the Standards Review Mechanism. We strongly
condemn the outbreak of violence resulting in the loss of lives
and the destruction of religious and cultural heritage sites in
March 2004, and will not tolerate any such actions intended to
undermine the political process. We call on all parties to speed
up the reconstruction and to create conditions for the safe return
of displaced persons. We urge all communities to work constructively
towards meeting the internationally endorsed standards, to engage
in dialogue at all levels, and to participate in local civic institutions.
We also call on them to conduct, and participate in, the upcoming
October elections in a fair and peaceful manner. We welcome the
appointment by the UN Secretary General of Mr Soren Jessen-Petersen
as his Special Representative in Kosovo. To further progress,
NATO will continue to work with the UN, the EU, the OSCE and other
international organisations, as well as the Contact Group, including,
as appropriate, attendance at its meetings.
(. . .)
We celebrate the success of NATO's Open Door
policy, and reaffirm today that our seven new members will not
be the last. The door to membership remains open. We welcome the
progress made by Albania, Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia in implementing their Annual National Programmes
under the Membership Action Plan, and encourage them to continue
pursuing the reforms necessary to progress towards NATO membership.
We also commend their contribution to regional stability and cooperation.
We want all three countries to succeed and will continue to assist
them in their reform efforts. NATO will continue to assess each
country's candidacy individually, based on the progress made towards
reform goals pursued through the Membership Action Plan, which
will remain the vehicle to keep the readiness of each aspirant
for membership under review. We direct that NATO Foreign Ministers
keep the enlargement process, including the implementation of
the Membership Action Plan, under continual review and report
to us. We will review at the next Summit progress by aspirants
towards membership based on that report.
The recent enlargements of NATO and the European
Union are a major step towards a Europe whole and free, and a
strong confirmation that our organisations share common values
and strategic interests. We are pleased with the progress made
in developing the NATO-EU strategic partnership on the basis of
and since the conclusion of the Berlin+ arrangements. NATO and
the EU continue to cooperate effectively in the Western Balkans,
and are committed to assist the countries of the region in their
further integration into Euro-Atlantic structures. NATO-EU relations
now cover a wide range of issues of common interest relating to
security, defence and crisis management, including the fight against
terrorism, the development of coherent and mutually reinforcing
military capabilities, and civil emergency planning. We are determined
to work together to further develop the NATO-EU strategic partnership
as agreed by our two organisations, in a spirit of transparency,
and respecting the autonomy of our two organisations.
(. . .)
We look forward to welcoming Bosnia and Herzegovina
and Serbia and Montenegro into the Partnership for Peace once
they have met the established NATO conditions. We want them to
succeed in joining the Euro-Atlantic partnership and will assist
them in this endeavour. We are prepared to assist the countries
by including them in selected PfP activities. Each country will
be judged on its own merits on the road to PfP.
We welcome Bosnia and Herzegovina's significant
progress in defence reform, a key condition for PfP membership.
We urge continued progress towards achieving a single military
force. We have agreed to designate a Contact Point Embassy in
Sarajevo to increase understanding of NATO. We are concerned that
Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly obstructionist elements in
the Republika Srpska entity, has failed to live up to its obligation
to cooperate fully with ICTY, including the arrest and transfer
to the jurisdiction of the Tribunal of war crimes indictees, a
fundamental requirement for the country to join PfP. We also look
for systemic changes necessary to develop effective security and
law enforcement structures.
Serbia and Montenegro has also shown progress
in defence reform, and the government has played a constructive
regional role, improving relations with its neighbours. We look
forward to further progress in these areas, in particular in relation
to the government's engagement on Kosovo-related issues. At the
same time, the International Court of Justice cases against several
of the Allies still stand. We call on the government to fulfil
its international obligations, in particular to cooperate with
ICTY and render all necessary assistance to secure the arrest
and transfer to the jurisdiction of the Tribunal of war crimes
indictees.
(. . .)
Note: The full text of the NATO Istanbul
Communique is available on the NATO Website at: http://www.nato.int/docu/pr/2004/p04-096e.htm
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