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Change
of command at SHAPE
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On 3 May, General Wesley Clark handed over the command of the Supreme
Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) to General Joseph Ralston at a ceremony
held at Mons, home of the HQ in Belgium.
General Ralston, US Air Force, is also the Commander-in-Chief,
United States European Command. He previously held a senior position
at the Pentagon, Washington D.C. as vice-chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff, making him the second highest-ranking military officer
in the United States. General Ralston joined the Air Force in 1965.
He is a combat pilot with more than 2,500 flying hours, including
combat missions over Laos and North Vietnam.
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Assessing
the situation in BiH
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| The upcoming Peace Implementation Council (PIC) meeting and SFOR
were the two main issues raised by Ambassador Wolfgang Petritsch,
the High Representative responsible for co-ordinating the civilian
organisations and agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), during
a visit to NATO HQ on 4 May.
In two weeks' time, the PIC will hold a meeting where over 50 countries
will discuss the situation in Bosnia. Most NATO member countries
participate in the PIC which was set up to assess progress made
in the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement (1995). The
last meeting was held in December 1998.
Regarding SFOR, no further reductions are planned in the six month
review since recent restructuring has already brought the number
of troops down from 31 000 to 20 000 men. SFOR continues to play
a crucial role in Bosnia, Ambassador Petritsch explained. The newly
appointed Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), General Ralston,
will shortly be visiting SFOR HQ and units (11-12 May).
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Italy's
role in the Balkans
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On 5 May, Italian President, Mr Carlo Azeglio Ciampi came to NATO
HQ to discuss security issues on NATO's current agenda. He attended
a Council meeting and was briefed by Admiral Venturoni on the situation
in the Balkans.
Secretary General Lord Robertson underlined the importance of Italy's
role during Operation Allied Force and the extent of its support
in Kosovo, Bosnia and Albania where the presence of the Carabinieri
are just one aspect of Italy's contribution to the peace effort
in the region.
Following this visit, Lord Robertson went to Rome on 8 May where
he met with Prime Minister Amato, Foreign Minister Dini and Defence
Minister Mattarella.
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The
role of Europe in the 21st century
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| Minister of Foreign Affairs, Boris Tarasyuk, opened a conference
on the role of Europe, and more particularly the role of Ukraine,
in security and international relations. High-level officials and
academics from many countries including Ukraine, Belgium, Russia and
the United States gathered at Yalta from 7 to 9 May to assess Europe's
role from 1945 to the present and its future direction. Central to
the discussions was recreating national and international identities
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Croatia
becomes NATO's 26th partner
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On 9 May, Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan met formally with
the North Atlantic Council for an exchange of views on Croatia's
progress on a number of areas of direct interest to the Alliance:
full support for the Dayton Peace Accords, relations with Bosnia
and Herzegovina, the return of refugees, cooperation with the ICTY
and domestic political reform. In light of the Croatian government's
impressive track record since taking office earlier in the year
and sincere desire to move closer to Euro-Atlantic institutions,
the North Atlantic Council on 10 May decided to formally invite
Croatia to join the Partnership for Peace (PfP) and the Euro-Atlantic
Partnership Council (EAPC).
A short signing ceremony with Croatian Foreign Minister Picula
will take place on the margins of the Florence Ministerial meetings
and allow Croatia to formally participate in the EAPC Ministerial
Meeting on May 25. NATO is looking forward to working with Croatia
in PfP and the EAPC and believes that Croatia can stand as an example
for others in the Balkan region.
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Russia
at Military Committee meetings
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Meetings of the Military Committee -NATO's highest military authority-
took place on 9 and 10 May, with the participation, this year, of
Russia.
Members of NATO's Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council are invited
to participate in two of the three Military Committee's meetings
held at Chiefs of Staff level, as are Ukraine and Russia on an individual
basis. These meetings take place each year at NATO HQ prior to the
Spring and Autumn Ministerial meetings - the third involves NATO
members only and is hosted by a NATO country on a rotational basis.
Russia had suspended its participation last year in the context
of the Kosovo crisis. However, this year it was represented by General
Anatoly Kvashnin, Chief of the General Staff, who presided over
the Permanent Joint Council in Chiefs of Staff Session with Lt.
General Henryk Szumski from Poland and the Chairman of NATO's Military
Committee, Admiral Guido Venturoni. A NATO-Russia Permanent Joint
Council meeting will also be organised on 17 May and during the
Florence Ministerial meetings later this month.
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