COMMUNIQUE OF THE DECEMBER 2-3 NATO FOREIGN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 USNATO 000448 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/RPM E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: NATO MARR PARM PHSA PTER XG ZM XA XF SUBJECT: COMMUNIQUE OF THE DECEMBER 2-3 NATO FOREIGN MINISTERS' MEETING, PART 1 OF 2 ¶1. (U) The following communique was approved and released by NATO Foreign Ministers following their December 2-3 meeting: BEGIN TEXT: MEETING OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL AT THE LEVEL OF FOREIGN MINISTERS HELD AT NATO HEADQUARTERS, BRUSSELS, ON 2-3 DECEMBER 2008 FINAL COMMUNIQUE ¶1. Founded on the enduring principle of the indivisibility of Allied security, NATO remains the essential forum for security consultations among the Allies of Europe and North America and the transatlantic framework for strong collective defence of our populations, territory and forces, the core purpose of our Alliance and its most important security task. Today, we reaffirmed our cohesion, solidarity and commitment to the common vision and shared democratic values of the Washington Treaty, which reflects the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. We agreed today on actions that, while enhancing our ability to maintain our core purpose, will also more effectively enable us to meet emerging challenges, and add momentum to implementation of the decisions taken at the NATO Summit in Bucharest in April of this year. We also gave further direction on work to be completed before the Alliance's 60th Anniversary Summit in Strasbourg and Kehl in April 2009. ¶2. NATO's ongoing enlargement process has been a historic success in advancing the vision of a Europe that is whole and free, united in peace, democracy and common values. At our Summit next year, we aim to welcome Albania and Croatia as new members of the Alliance and we are pleased to be joined today by our colleagues from these two countries, who associate themselves with this Communique. In a manner consistent with the principles of the United Nations Charter, NATO's door remains open to all European democracies willing and able to assume the responsibilities and obligations of membership, in accordance with Article 10 of the Washington Treaty. ¶3. Today we reaffirm our commitment to a common vision of how to meet existing security challenges in ways which contribute to lasting peace and security in the Euro Atlantic area. We underscore that the existing structures - NATO, the European Union (EU),the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe - ;based on common values, continue to provide every opportunity for countries to engage substantively on Euro Atlantic security with a broad acquis, established over decades, that includes respect for human rights, territorial integrity, the sovereignty of all states, without dividing lines, and the requirement to fulfill international commitments and agreements. Within this framework, Allies are open to dialogue within the OSCE on security perceptions and how to respond to new threats, and seek the widest possible cooperation among participating states to promote a common Euro Atlantic space of security and stability. The common aim should be to improve implementation of existing commitments and to continue to improve existing institutions and instruments so as to effectively promote our values and USNATO 00000448 002 OF 007 Euro Atlantic security. ¶4. We pay tribute to the professionalism and bravery of the many men and women from Allied and other nations who are involved in NATO's operations and missions. We extend our deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of those who have died or been injured during the course of their duties. ¶5. NATO reaffirms its long term commitment to supporting the Government of Afghanistan in building a stable and democratic Afghanistan, respectful of human rights, capable of securing itself, and at peace with its neighbours. Recognising that our security is closely bound to Afghanistan's, we affirm that the UN mandated NATO led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) remains our key priority. We condemn the deliberate tactics and actions by insurgents in complete disregard for human life. We deplore all civilian casualties. ISAF continues to take all possible measures to protect civilians and has reinforced its efforts in this regard. Despite the actions of extremists and terrorists which continue to threaten the Afghan people, our forces, and stability in the region as a whole, we have, with Afghanistan and our partners, made progress in realising the strategic vision set out at the Bucharest Summit, through implementing the four principles of our Comprehensive Strategic Political Military Plan: - A Firm and Shared Commitment among Allies: We remain determined to provide ISAF with the forces, resources, and flexibility to ensure the mission's success. Since the Summit, we have augmented ISAF's contribution to Afghanistan with troops and equipment, and we welcome the strong and growing support from ISAF partner nations. The Presidential and Provincial elections scheduled for 2009 and the Parliamentary and District elections scheduled to follow in 2010 will be important milestones for the democratic development of Afghanistan. ISAF will support the Afghan Government's efforts to secure the election process, including through temporary deployment of additional forces. - Support for Enhanced Afghan Leadership and Responsibility: Significant progress has been made in the development of the Afghan National Security Forces. They have assumed lead security responsibility for Kabul City, increasingly taken the lead on security operations, and begun to extend their reach across the country. We are committed to supporting expansion of the Afghan National Army (ANA) and to providing necessary resources, including additional Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams. We are also exploring how the ANA Trust Fund could facilitate this expansion. We similarly support greater efforts by Allied nations and partners, in coordination with United States and European Union programmes and missions, to accelerate development of the Afghan National Police. - A Comprehensive, Civilian Military Approach by the International Community: Recognising that there is no purely military solution, NATO also stands ready to support Afghan led efforts to achieve a political resolution to the conflict. ISAF will support the Afghan Government in extending its authority across the country and reaching out to all its citizens to enable good governance and USNATO 00000448 003 OF 007 development, building on the Afghan National Development Strategy, and the commitments of the Afghanistan Compact and the Paris Conference. In this respect, we encourage the Afghan Government to continue investing in good governance. We underscore our strong support for the leading role of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) continue to play a significant role in promoting good governance, capacity building, reconstruction and development. We will work to further enhance PRTs' unity of effort and will continue to strengthen linkages between PRT activities and the Afghan Government's good governance and community engagement goals. - Increased Cooperation with Afghanistan's Neighbours, especially Pakistan: As a contribution to promoting regional peace and stability, we welcome the improving relationship between Kabul and Islamabad, and recent military action Pakistan has taken against extremists along its frontier with Afghanistan. We welcome closer NATO ISAF/Afghan/Pakistani coordination through the Tri Partite Commission and other fora, and will take steps to improve border security, including exploring the establishment of more Border Coordination Centres and other possible joint initiatives. NATO is open to closer military to military cooperation and an enhanced high level political dialogue with Pakistan. We will continue our enhanced dialogue with Central Asian Partners and Afghanistan in support of regional cooperation and a stable Afghanistan, while encouraging their active contribution, including through finalising transit arrangements of Central Asian countries with the Alliance. ¶6. The robust, UN mandated NATO led KFOR presence will remain in Kosovo on the basis of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244. Throughout Kosovo, NATO and KFOR will continue to work with the authorities and, bearing in mind its operational mandate, KFOR will cooperate with and assist the UN, the EU and other international actors, as appropriate, to support the development of a stable, democratic, multi ethnic and peaceful Kosovo. The prompt deployment of the European Union's Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) throughout all of Kosovo is an urgent priority, and in this context we note the adoption by the United Nations Security Council of a statement by its Presidency in support of the reconfiguration of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). We strongly encourage the Kosovo authorities and Serbia to cooperate fully with all relevant actors during and after the period of transfer of authority. We expect all parties concerned in Kosovo to help prevent violence. We attach importance to close coordination among all relevant international actors, as well as with the Kosovo authorities. We welcome the continuing efforts of these authorities and expect them to implement fully their commitment to standards, especially those related to the rule of law and regarding the protection of ethnic minorities and communities, as well as the protection of historical and religious sites, and to combating crime and corruption. NATO stands ready to play its part in the implementation of future security arrangements and, in the framework of NATO's new tasks, continues to work towards the standing down of the Kosovo Protection Corps and the establishment of the Kosovo Security Force on the basis of our voluntary trust funds. ¶7. We reiterate the Alliance's commitment to support the USNATO 00000448 004 OF 007 Government and people of Iraq and to assist with the development of Iraqi Security Forces. We have responded positively to a request by Prime Minister Al Maliki to continue the NATO Training Mission Iraq (NTM I) and expand the mission in several areas, including navy and air force leadership training, police training, border security, defence reform, defence institution building, and small arms and light weapons accountability. NATO is also working with the Government of Iraq on a structured cooperation framework to develop the Alliance's long term relationship with Iraq. ¶8. Our experience in Afghanistan and Kosovo shows that today's security challenges require a comprehensive approach by the international community, combining civil and military measures and coordination. Effective implementation of a comprehensive approach requires the cooperation and contribution of all major actors in a shared sense of openness and determination. It is essential for all international actors to act in a concerted effort that takes into account their respective strengths and mandates. In line with the Action Plan agreed at Bucharest, work is underway to improve NATO's own contribution to such a comprehensive approach, including through a more coherent application of its crisis management instruments and efforts to associate its military capabilities with civilian means. As part of the Action Plan, we are developing ways to improve the planning and conduct of ongoing and future operations, wherever appropriate, as well as ensuring adequate use of lessons learned, including in training, education and exercises. We are also strengthening our ability to work effectively with partner countries, international organisations, non governmental organisations and local authorities, enhancing synergy at all levels. We have taken note of a progress report and look forward to further concrete results by the time of the next Summit. We have shared the main thrust of our work with major international actors in order to benefit from their views and input. ¶9. More than a decade of cooperation between NATO and the United Nations, especially in the Balkans and Afghanistan, has demonstrated the value of effective and efficient coordination between the two organisations. We are determined to further develop our cooperation in a structured manner, in order to be better able to address the threats and challenges to which the international community is called upon to respond. The Joint UN NATO Declaration, which the two Secretaries General signed in September 2008, is a major step forward in this direction. It also reaffirms our willingness to provide, within our respective mandates and capabilities, assistance to regional and sub-regional organisations, as requested and as appropriate. ¶10. As demonstrated by NATO's rapid deployment of Operation Allied Provider, we are greatly preoccupied by the rising incidence of piracy off the Horn of Africa and are committed to assist in fighting this scourge, in full respect of relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. Accordingly, in response to requests by the Secretary General of the United Nations, NATO and individual Allied nations' naval forces are providing a deterrent presence and are escorting World Food Programme chartered vessels carrying humanitarian aid to Somalia. NATO naval forces have also provided a maritime security presence and escorted African USNATO 00000448 005 OF 007 Union chartered vessels carrying logistical supplies for the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). We welcome the EU's upcoming ATALANTA operation. As more actors engage in these important efforts, it is essential to ensure complementarity among them. NATO stands ready to consider further requests for the use of Alliance naval assets to combat piracy in this region. ¶11. In addition to counter piracy related assistance, NATO is committed to assist the African Union (AU) and its peacekeeping and stability operations in other ways as well. We continue to coordinate airlift support to AMISOM. We are also providing capacity building support to the AU's long term peacekeeping capabilities, in particular the African Standby Force, at the request of the AU. We are prepared to consider further requests to support the AU, including for regional maritime capacity building. ¶12. As noted at Bucharest, NATO EU relations cover a wide range of issues of common interest relating to security, defence and crisis management, including the fight against terrorism, the development of coherent and mutually reinforcing military capabilities, and civil emergency planning. NATO and the EU also share common values and strategic interests, and will continue to work side by side in key crisis management operations, and will avoid unnecessary duplication in a mutual spirit of transparency while respecting the autonomy of each organisation. Since Bucharest, various initiatives have been taken as part of the continuing effort to improve the NATO EU strategic partnership, as agreed by our two organisations. NATO recognises the importance of a stronger and more capable European defence, and welcomes the EU's efforts to strengthen its capabilities and its capacity to address common security challenges that both NATO and the EU face today. These developments have significant implications and relevance for the Alliance as a whole, which is why NATO stands ready to support and work with the EU in such mutually reinforcing efforts, recognising the ongoing concerns of Allies. Non EU Allies have made, and continue to make, significant contributions to these efforts. In this context, we continue to believe it important that all possible efforts should be made by all those involved in these endeavours, and also to render possible the fullest involvement of non EU Allies. ¶13. Today's information environment underlines the need for appropriate, timely, accurate and responsive communication with local and international audiences in relation to NATO's policies and engagement in international operations. We welcome the progress made in enhancing NATO's strategic communications capability, as demonstrated by the rapid response Media Operations Centre as well as NATO's television channel on the internet. We underscore our commitment to support further improvement of our strategic communications by the time of our 2009 Summit. ¶14. We condemn in the strongest terms the attacks in Mumbai last week and express our sincerest sympathy to the victims and their families. ¶15. We reiterate our condemnation of all acts of terrorism, irrespective of its motivations or manifestations. We are determined to fight against terrorism individually and collectively as long as necessary in accordance with USNATO 00000448 006 OF 007 international law and principles of the United Nations Charter. The Alliance continues to provide an essential transatlantic dimension to the response against terrorism and we remain committed to the full implementation of United Nations Security Council resolutions related to terrorism. We unequivocally condemn all terrorist acts as unjustifiable and criminal and deplore tactics such as suicide bombing and hostage taking, as well as the recruitment of the young and disadvantaged towards these ends. We also condemn terrorist abuse of freedoms inherent to democratic societies to spread hatred and incite violence. With the resolve to protect our populations, territories, infrastructure and forces against terrorist attacks, Allies will continue to develop their national capabilities in this important area, and to strengthen the Alliance's ability to share information and intelligence on terrorism. Operation Active Endeavour, our maritime operation in the Mediterranean, continues to make a valuable contribution to the fight against terrorism. We remain committed to further enhancing our dialogue and cooperation with our partners in this important area, including in the framework of the Partnership Action Plan against Terrorism. ¶16. We look forward to welcoming Albania and Croatia as new members of the Alliance, which will strengthen security for all in the Euro Atlantic area. Albania and Croatia have already accomplished important reforms and are making significant contributions to our security. As they soon join us in the Alliance's continuous transformation and reform process, we encourage Albania and Croatia to continue making progress on reform before completion of their ongoing Membership Action Plan (MAP) work and after accession in order to enhance their contribution to the Alliance. We commend the July 2008 signature of the Accession Protocols and look forward to the completion of the ratification process. Our aim is to welcome the two new members into our Alliance at our next Summit. ¶17. We reiterate the agreement of Heads of State and Government at the Bucharest Summit to extend an invitation to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as soon as a mutually acceptable solution to the name issue has been reached within the framework of the UN and urge intensified efforts towards that goal. At the same time, we will continue to support and assist the reform efforts of the Government of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. ¶18. We reaffirm all elements of the decisions regarding Ukraine and Georgia taken by our Heads of State and Government in Bucharest. Both countries have made progress, yet both have significant work left to do. Therefore, we have decided to provide further assistance to both countries in implementing needed reforms as they progress towards NATO membership. ¶19. Through a performance based process NATO will maximise its advice, assistance, and support for their reform efforts in the framework of the NATO Ukraine Commission and NATO Georgia Commission, which have a central role to play in supervising the process set in hand at the Bucharest Summit. In this context, we have decided to amend the NATO Ukraine Charter on a Distinctive Partnership together with our Ukrainian partners to reflect this central role of the NATO Ukraine Commission, as is already the case in the NATO USNATO 00000448 007 OF 007 Georgia Commission. We have also decided to reinforce the NATO information and liaison offices in Kyiv and Tbilisi. Finally, without prejudice to further decisions which must be taken about MAP, we have agreed that under the NATO Georgia Commission and NATO Ukraine Commission, Annual National Programmes will be developed to help Georgia and Ukraine advance their reforms, which will be annually reviewed by the Allies. End Part 1 of the Text. Part 2 sent septel. VOLKER