U.S. Department of State
93/06/11 Statement before NACC, Greece
Office of the Spokesman




Statement by
Secretary of State Warren Christopher
before the 
North Atlantic Cooperation Council

Athens, Greece
June 11, 1993

NACC's Essential Role  


Mr. Secretary-General, it is a pleasure to attend my first North 
Atlantic Cooperation Council Ministerial.  I want to begin by conveying 
President Clinton's commitment to building a positive relationship with 
all the countries of Europe dedicated to democracy, prosperity, 
security, and peace.  The United States will fulfill its continuing 
responsibilities in Europe, as I made clear in my comments at 
yesterday's North Atlantic Council (NAC) meeting.

The NACC is becoming a central element in the growing web of security 
ties that binds us together.  It is tangible proof that the security of 
NATO members is linked to that of all other states in Europe.  It 
reflects, above all, our concern for the security of the new 
democracies.

We are pleased with the progress that the NACC has made in promoting 
these goals.  But as demonstrated by the conflicts and tensions in 
Nagorno-Karabakh, Georgia, Moldova, and Tajikistan, we still have far to 
go.  Our ties must deepen.  We must develop a new cooperative security 
order in Europe.  That new security order will depend on mutually 
reinforcing institutional and bilateral relationships.  And it will 
succeed by developing new capabilities to address common problems.

I propose, therefore, that we work together in preparation for our next 
ministerial to broaden the mandate of the NACC and intensify and expand 
its work program.

I believe the NACC should step up its consultations on political and 
security issues--and improve its ability to promote solutions.  We 
should also develop further programs for exchanges of civilian and 
military personnel.  Our goal should be a shared strategic framework and 
active cooperation to link nations across the old East-West divide.

To meet the new challenges of the post-Cold War era, the international 
community needs to develop more effective tools for crisis prevention 
and management.  I would like to commend the efforts of several of the 
states represented here to enforce United Nations sanctions against 
Serbia.  We recognize the hardships this has entailed.  Nonetheless, I 
want to urge still greater efforts to enforce the sanctions and to 
increase the pressure on Serbia and the Bosnian Serbs to come to a fair 
settlement and end the bloodshed.

I am pleased that today's communique reflects the support of NACC states 
on behalf of our common efforts in the former Yugoslavia.  I am also 
pleased that the communique reflects a broad range of agreement on steps 
we should take together in encouraging the spirit of partnership we seek 
to build.

We strongly support the NACC's program of cooperation on peace-keeping.  
This sends a powerful signal of the resolve of the Euro-Atlantic 
community to respond effectively to new threats to peace, stability, and 
human rights.

NACC cooperation should focus on specific activities with direct 
application to UN and CSCE peace-keeping.  In particular, I would stress 
the importance of joint planning, training, and exercises.  Our aim 
should be to develop a joint capability to act together in future peace-
keeping operations.  Therefore, we should today direct the NACC's Ad Hoc 
Group to implement quickly the initial recommendations it has made, and 
to continue to develop concrete new activities.  We view this program as 
the first step toward the unprecedented degree of military cooperation 
that will be essential to building a new cooperative security order in 
Europe.

For its part, the United States is prepared to make available the 
facilities of the newly inaugurated Marshall Center in Garmisch, 
Germany, as a forum and training center for NACC activities and other 
efforts to address the defense and security issues of the post-Cold War 
era.  We have agreed to sponsor a workshop at the Marshall Center to 
address issues concerning joint peace-keeping exercises.  I would also 
like to invite and encourage your respective governments to appoint an 
appropriate "senior civilian" to participate on the advisory board of 
the Marshall Center.

We need to explore new ways to engage the capabilities of NACC, CSCE, 
and other bodies to address regional insecurities before they escalate 
into conflict.  We have a particular opportunity to contribute 
effectively to CSCE initiatives in conflict prevention and crisis 
management.

For the NACC to reach its full potential, we need to raise the level of 
participation by all our countries.  We hope that all NACC partners will 
soon be represented by permanent missions in Brussels.  We hope that 
more NACC activities can be scheduled in partner states.  We are 
interested in re-examining the prospect of establishing NATO information 
offices in Cooperation Partners' capitals.  We should consider providing 
temporary assistance to those states facing the greatest barriers to 
participation.  I also want to note that at the NAC, I reiterated the 
U.S. offer to contribute additional funds to the NATO budget to increase 
support for NACC activities--provided that our other allies contribute a 
proportionate share.

The fact that we can gather here as friends and partners reminds us of 
the great progress made in the past few years. Yet we are also reminded 
of the great challenges that remain for the NACC and its agenda of 
cooperation, transparency, and the peaceful resolution of disputes.

This Council is a central element in forging the cooperative security 
order emerging in Europe.  As the heirs of the two blocs that faced off 
during the Cold War, we should use this unique and innovative forum to 
its fullest potential, with the emphasis on practical cooperation.  

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