Time Magazine 4 Dec. 1998

Open Doors By Javier Solana NATO Secretary General One of the most heartening developments since the end of the cold war has been the return of the nations of Central Europe as equal partners and friends. Today, the countries of this region are back on the political map, with their own distinctive voices, and are no longer the object of someone else's ambitions. Their choice is clear: to be part of the two greatest engines of security and prosperity - NATO and the European union. We must respond to this desire. An open Europe cannot be based on closed institutions. There can be no durable order if the continent remains divided between a prosperous, self-confident West and a stagnant, frustrated East. These are the moral and political roots of last year's decision to invite the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland into NATO. After a process of thorough preparation, we expect them to be full members of the alliance by the time of our Washington Summit. This event will signal to the world that these countries journey back to Europe is complete. For others, this journey will be longer, yet they too have made great headway. Indeed, the decision by NATO to open doors has led many countries in central and eastern Europe to accelerate their political, economic and military reforms, it has also encouraged them to bury old enmities and establish good neighborly relations. Moreover, NATO'S opening to central and Eastern Europe is not happening in a vacuum. NATO'S other initiatives- the partnership for peace program, the Euro- Atlantic Partnership council, the NATO/RUSSIAN founding act, the NATO/UKRAINE charter and our dialogue with six countries from the Mediterranean- have created a powerful momentum for continent-wide security cooperation. Together, these initiatives have united almost all the nations in the Euro-Atlantic area around a common security standard. They have turned joint military exercises and political consultations between NATO and partners into regular features of today's Europe. This cooperative momentum has enabled our relationship with Russia to make a quantum leap. With the NATO/RUSSIA permanent joint council, we have created the right mechanisms for political consultation on a wide range of issues. Military cooperation is accelerating as well, enabling us to enrich our relationship both in scope and substance content. A stable and democratic Russia remains vital for a cooperative security order in Europe. The cooperative momentum created by our major institutions must be extended even further. It must also take root in those regions for which the end of communism did not simply mean liberation, but also created new uncertainty and fear. In Bosnia, NATO and its partner nations have demonstrated that they can have a positive impact on a regional crisis. By making the security of the Balkans our concern, we have finally destroyed the myth that outside involvement can never make a difference in this conflict-prone region. By uniting different nations behind a common strategy, we broke the fateful cycle of great powers supporting their client states in the Balkans. In exorcising these ghosts, we also dispelled the nation that NATO was confined to the role o f a bystander. The NATO-led operation in Bosnia is a unique and unprecedented international coalition. Soldiers from over 30 countries are serving the side of peace. This spirit of cooperations bodes well for the future. Together, NATO and its partners are publishing Bosnia toward a sustainable peace. We are still a long way from true reconciliation. But the overall trends are encouraging. And we will stay the course. Unfortunately, events are less encouraging in Kosovo, where Belgrade's oppressive policies have created a humanitarian and political crisis. Nato stands ready to support international diplomacy to find a lasting political solution in Kosovo-a solution that meets the aspirations of the Kosovar Albanian population which give the alliance's political leaders great flexibility in the implementation of military actions, shout they be required. NATO is ready to act, NATO has also undertaken major efforts to stabilize the situation in neighboring countries. Both Albania and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia have made use of the consolidation mechanisms provided by the partnership for peace. We have stepped up our military assistance to both countries and recently held exercises on their territories. In Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, I once met an 87- year-old man. He told me that he had lived his life in the same place, yet at the same time he has lived in seven different countries. This is the other, darker side of Europe. To complete Europe's post-cold war consolidation, we need engagement. And we need a dynamic transatlantic community. This transatlantic community can create irresistible momentum only if it stands together. This has been a key lesson of the 20th century. In April, when the alliance celebrates its 50th anniversary at the Washington Summit, we will demonstrate that the lesson of transatlantic unity will guide our security strategies in the 21st century.