No. 18. (30/05/97) - 1.     Signing of NATO-Russia agreement

On 27th May NATO Secretary General, Javier Solana, Russian President, Boris Yeltsin and the heads of state and prime ministers of the 16 NATO member countries signed a charter with all solemnity regulating the relations between NATO and Russia. After signing, the sixteen-page document came immediately into force.
The agreement has ended the cold war age furthermore it prepares the way for the NATO accession of Central and Eastern European countries.
US President, Bill Clinton emphasised that from now on Moscow and NATO can act jointly in crisis zones. He stated that NATO opens its door to Central Europe and doe not wants to work against Russia but with it.
Russian President, Boris Yeltsin said that the new Russia-NATO treaty protects Europe and puts down the foundations of a new partner relationship. He announced that Russian nuclear warheads aimed at NATO member states would be dismantled. Washington considered this Moscow decision a trust building move.
The host French president, Jacques Chirac believes that the fifty year old opposition has come to an end, and by closing the cold war era it has started a new chapter on the European continent that will be characterised by partner co-operation.

No. 18. (30/05/97) - 2.      NATO Advanced Networking Workshop on "First CEENet                                                 Workshop on Networking Policy" 29-31 May, 1997
                                          in Tartu, Estonia

A NATO Advanced Networking Workshop (ANW) concerning the development and support of national academical computer networks in Central and Eastern Europe will take place in Tartu, Estonia, on May 29-31 this year. The Workshop is organized by the Central and Eastern European Networking Association (CEENet).

CEENet was created in 1994 and is for the most part the offspring of one of the first NATO ANWs held in Budapest. The major task of this association is to support the integration of Central and Eastern European networks into the international environment.

Key speakers of this first CEENet Workshop are coming from NATO member states and Cooperation Partner (CP) countries. They will address themes such as network organization and administration, acceptable user policies, international cooperation, privacy, security, as well as financing and funding possibilities, academical vs. commercial Internet Service Providers (ISPs), charging, relations with Public Network Operators (PNOs) and Telecoms and peering agreements.

For this workshop approximately 60 academicians and government representatives from 20 countries will participate. In order to keep this workshop to a limited number of participants but still covering all responsible institutions in most of the CP countries, attendance is by invitation only. The group of participants is composed of the directors of national academical/educational networks and one government official responsible for network funds from each CP country as well as of prominent networking experts.

(NATO Press Release (97)54, 26 May 1997)

No. 18. (30/05/97) - 3.       CEP/CIMIC Course, Gudauri, Georgia

From the 27th until 31st May 1997, a course on Civil Emergency Planning (CEP) and Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) will be held at a Conference Centre in Gudauri, Georgia.
The course will be conducted jointly by the Civil Emergency Planning Directorate at NATO Headquarters, SHAPE, and the Department of Extremal Situations and Civil Defence of Georgia.
This course is open to participants from Georgia and the neighbouring countries. More than 50 participants from the Ministry of Defence and various civil ministries are expected to attend the course.

The course is the third ever to be conducted in a partner country. Its aim is to introduce participants to the organisation, role and functions of Civil Emergency Planning (CEP) and to the aim, basic principles and procedures of civil-military co-operation (CIMIC) within NATO's strategic concept and to exchange relevant information from the region, i.e. Georgia and neighbouring countries.

The course will be opened by Mr. George Chechelashvili, Deputy Minister for Internal Affairs.

(NATO Press Release (97)63, 21 May 1997)

No. 18. (30/05/97) - 4.      NADC Seminar on operation of air defence and air traffic                                                   control systems in peace time and during crisis

Under the aegis of the NATO Air Defence Comm ittee (NADC), a seminar will take place in BalatonKenese - Republic of Hungaryfrom 26-30 May 1997 hosted by Hungarian Authorities. The seminar is organised in the context of the Partnership for Peace (PfP) Programme and the NADC's Cooperative Air Defence Programme. The theme of the seminar is "OPERATION OF AIR DEFENCE AND AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS IN PEACE TIME AND DURING CRISIS".

Experts from eleven NATO nations, fifteen Partner nations and several associated military and civilian agencies are scheduled to participate in the seminar.
Amongst the topics to be presented and discussed are:
- Cooperation between military and civil air traffic control managers
- Future developments in civil Air Traffic Control (ATC)
- Air policing and maritime interface in peace time and during crisis
- Hungarian military-civil ATC and their MATIAS Project
- Common use of airbases and airports in peace time and crisis
- Management of military ATC in crisis situations
- Airspace management in relation to the former Yugoslavia

The presentations and discussions on these topics will contribute to a common understanding on the interlocking requirements and responsibilities of military and civil air traffic managers, not only during peace time but also should there be the need for a transition to crisis conditions. The increasing density of civil air traffic coupled with multi-national air policing in the context of peacekeeping make this a particularly cogent topic today.
Participants have also been invited by Hungarian Home Defence Forces to visit the 47th "PAPA" Airbase and Regiment Headquarters and observe a flight demonstration of MiG-21 and MiG-29 aircraft in combination with an orientation at an air defence missile unit.
The Slovakian Authorities will host the next Seminar in Autumn 1997.

Note to Editors

The NATO AIR DEFENCE COMMITTEE (NADC) is the senior advisory body advising the North Atlantic Council on all air defence matters and includes all NATO nations. The NADC meets twice a year with senior Representatives from PfP Nations.

(NATO Press Release(97)64, 22 May 1997)