UNCLAS USNATO 000707

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MARR MOPS NATO PREL EAPC
SUBJECT: EAPC AMBASSADORS ENDORSE RIGA SUMMIT DECISION TO
INVITE BALKANS THREE TO PARTNERSHIP

REF: USNATO 00694


1. (U) SUMMARY: Partner Ambassadors responded positively to
NATO SYG de Hoop Scheffer's briefing on the Riga Summit on
December 6, and endorsed the Alliance's November 29
invitation to Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Montenegro to
join the Partnership for Peace. End Summary.


2. (U) Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) Chairman,
NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, briefed Partner
Ambassadors December 6 on the key achievements of the Riga
Summit (REF). He asked the EAPC to endorse NATO,s
invitation to Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH), and
Montenegro to join the EAPC and Partnership for Peace (PfP).
Partners Austria, Sweden, Albania, Moldova, Macedonia,
Switzerland, Ireland, Finland, Croatia, Belarus, and Georgia
welcomed the invitations. Several of them expressed hope
that accession to PfP would reinforce democratic and defense
reform efforts in the three Balkan nations. The SYG, along
with Switzerland, Ireland, and Finland, specifically cited
the continuing need for Serbia and BiH to meet ICTY
obligations. No nation voiced misgivings about the
invitations.


3. (U) The SYG expressed hope that the Balkan Three would
attend the next EAPC Ambassadorial session in January as full
Partners and EAPC members. They are scheduled to jointly
sign the PfP Framework Document at NATO HQ on December 14.

OLSON