Enhancing partnership
The NATO Alliance will strengthen the cooperation with partner
countries that is now taking place as part of the Euro-Atlantic
Partnership Council (EAPC) and Partnership for Peace (PfP)
programme. The leaders of NATO member countries emphasised their firm
resolve to further strengthen cooperation with
Russia, with which the Alliance is already closely cooperating
through the NATO-Russia Council, and relations with
Ukraine, to which they offered support in the continuation of
necessary reforms. In the future the Alliance will also dedicate
special attention to South East Europe and will also strengthen cooperation with
Mediterranean countries.
Prime Minister Drnovsek also delivered a speech
on behalf of the Slovenian delegation. He supported the report on the
comprehensive review of the Partnership Council and Partnership for
Peace, as well as the proposed changes and adaptations, especially the
recommended development of a mechanism for practical cooperation
between Alliance members and interested partners. He also supported
the proposed Partnership Action Plan against Terrorism as the first
project of its kind, and he recalled that Slovenia has taken on its
share of responsibility as a member of the international coalition
against terrorism because it is actively participating in the exchange
of information, the prevention of money laundering and weapons
control. Slovenia has likewise taken concrete steps to strengthen the
stability of the new government in Afghanistan by providing
humanitarian assistance and equipment for arming three battalions of
the Afghan Armed Forces.
Slovenia had already decided to increase its participation in the
SFOR operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina with a company from the
professional 10th Motorised Battalion of the Slovenian Armed
Forces. In the adaptation of the Euro-Atlantic partnership to new
security challenges, Slovenia supports the suggestion that the
Alliance members and partner countries must continue and strengthen
their efforts to ensure security and stability in the Balkans.
More: New Relationships at http://www.nato.int/
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