1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Estonia - NATO Chronology of key events 1991 December 1991 NATO Rome Summit. Creation of the North Atlantic Co-operation Council. Estonia is one of the founding members. 1992 March 1992 NATO Secretary General Manfred Wörner visits Estonia. November 1992 President Lennart Meri visits NATO Headquarters in Brussels. 1993 October 1993 Prime Minister Mart Laar meets with NATO Secretary General Manfred Wörner at NATO Headquarters. 1994 January 1994 The Partnership for Peace (PfP) Programme is approved at NATO ’s Brussels Summit and a new security policy is defined. February 1994 Estonia joins the PfP Programme and signs the PfP Framework Document. The individual partner programme is signed in June 1995. 1995 January 1995 NATO launches a Planning and Review Process (PARP) under the auspices of PfP, which Estonia joins. 1996 1996 Estonia begins preparations for accession negotiations with NATO in 16+1 format, which are called Intensified Dialogue meetings. January 1996 NATO Secretary General Javier Solana and Estonian Prime Minister Tiit Vähi meet in Brussels. April 1996 NATO Secretary General Javier Solana visits Estonia. May 1996 The Riigikogu (Parliament) endorses the Guidelines of the National Defence Policy and the goal of NATO accession is approved by the Parliament. NATO membership as a separate goal is inserted into all relevant Government programmes. September 1996 The Presidents of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania promise to take all necessary steps in helping their countries fulfil the criteria set for admission as full-fledged members of NATO. 1997 May 1997 The NACC is replaced by the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC). Estonia joins the EAPC. June 1997 The Foreign and Defence Ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania participate in the 14th International NATO Conference on Political and Military decision-making. They call for the enlargement process to remain open and call for NATO to determine clear criteria for new members. July 1997 NATO Madrid Summit. The Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland are invited to start accession talks. The concluding communiqué approves the continuation of the enlargement process. The successful progress and co-operation of the Baltic States is recognized. 1997 Estonia hosts the first PfP training session Baltic Challenge with participants from 8 nations. 1998 June 1998 NATO Secretary General Javier Solana on a visit to Estonia expresses NATO’s wish to co-operate with the Baltic States as potential new member states. 1999 February 1999 Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania’s presidents sign a joint statement in Tallinn calling for NATO enlargement to the Baltic States. April 1999 NATO Washington Summit. Estonia is officially mentioned as a potential new member state. The Membership Action Plan (MAP) process is launched to help the nine potential new member states to prepare for accession. 2000 May 2000 NATO Secretary General George Robertson on a trip to Tallinn affirms that a decision regarding NATO enlargement will be reviewed in 2002. 2001 February 2001 Creation of the Estonian Atlantic Treaty Association. March 2001 The Riigikogu (Parliament) endorses the focus of the national security concept with integration and co-operation with NATO being among the main directions of security policy. June 2001 U.S. President George Bush’s speech at the University of Warsaw affirms the interest of the United States in NATO enlargement. November 2001 NATO Secretary General George Robertson on a trip to Tallinn states that Estonia is an “excellent candidate” for NATO membership. 2002 April 2002 Prime Minister Siim Kallas visits NATO Headquarters in Brussels. November 2002 NATO Prague Summit. Estonia is invited to begin accession negotiations with NATO. 2003 January-March 2003 Estonian accession negotiations. March 2003 NATO Secretary General George Robertson speaks in Tallinn at the Estonian Atlantic Treaty Association. March 2003 NATO member nations sign NATO accession protocols for Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.