On Wednesday, 21 October, NATO will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the NATO Seasparrow Project. The NATO Seasparrow Missile System (NSSMS) is the largest running cooperative weapons development project in NATO's history.

Seasparrow is a surface-to-air missile system used to defend high value ships against cruise missiles.

"Since its inception in 1968, the Seasparrow Project has grown to become the Alliance's most successful cooperative armaments project. With 13 participating governments, Seasparrow has firmly established a premiere example of international cooperation. It thus played an important part in maintaining our collective defence," Secretary General Javier Solana wrote in a congratulatory message.

The NSSMS is installed on over 150 ships. Four nations (Denmark, Italy, Norway and the United States) inaugurated the programme in 1968. Later, they were joined by Belgium, Canada, Germany, Greece, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Turkey and Australia.

From the very beginning the goal was to help member nations reduce the costs and risks of weapons systems development.

The project is still being enhanced to increase its capability and to reduce costs. Ten of the 13 nations will participate in a project for upgrading the existing versions into the "Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile". It is intended to produce more than 4 000 missiles in the next 12 years.

(NATO-statement 98/118)

Simon Haselock, OHR: Good morning, everybody. I have just a couple of brief things. You'll note that yesterday, the High Representative, Carlos Westendorp, delivered a speech to the North Atlantic Council at NATO. The essential message that he was giving was, obviously, the need - which, of course, is now agreed by everybody - for a sustained military presence in Bosnia-Herzegovina into the future.

I will give you a couple of introductory remarks that he made. He opened his speech by saying that - together, we are engaged in a venture of enormous significance to the international community - one in which vast political, economic and human resources have been invested. It is also, he said, a venture of even greater importance to the peoples of Bosnia-Herzegovina - and to the neighbors of that troubled country - and to Europe, in general. We cannot, therefore, contemplate failure, nor do I. But, I believe, we are now at a critical moment in the decision-making process.

He went on to discuss what has been achieved, but, then said that - although much has been achieved, there still remains a great deal to be accomplished - if we are to defeat the underlying difficulties that persist so obstinately - and so - to be able to depart the country in good conscience - confident that it will not return to strife and turmoil.

Bosnia may - now - not be at war, but it is certainly not - at yet - at peace with itself.

(TRANSCRIPT: Joint Press Conference)