No 17 (20/11/98) Euro–Atlantic Summary (September -October)

No. 17. (20/11/98) Euro–Atlantic Summary

(September - October 1998)

SEPTEMBER
3 September

The Netherlands might be the last to ratify the Czech, Polish and Hungarian NATO accession protocol. According to the Dutch Foreign Ministry the vote can only take place next year. Spokesman, Frank de Bruin said, the majority of the parliamentary parties support the membership of the three countries, the outcome of the process is not in doubt. The approval of only three countries remains.

5 September

The extension of NATO cannot be completed by only accepting the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. Zbigniev Brzezinski urges the acceptance of new members in his article to be published in a few days: according to him it is the future of European security and also in the interest of Russia.

9 September

János Martonyi Hungarian Foreign Minister met NATO’s Secretary General Solana, General Naumann, Head of the Military Committee, and Vershbow American NATO Envoy. The ratification process in the member states is expected to have been completed by the end of October, the Hungarian and Polish parliaments will probably approve accession in November. In December the ratification documents can be submitted so, theoretically, there is a chance of joining next January.

10 September

NATO field exercises have started in Macedonia neighbouring Kosovo. The manoeuvres had been decided on a year ago, but because of the crisis in Kosovo, NATO decided that the exercises would be larger planned. Because its aim is to demonstrate the presence of NATO in the region.

12 September

Hungarian army officers are "shadowing" their Canadian colleagues and Canada is assisting a smooth accession to NATO by Hungary in other ways, also, said Canadian Defence Minister, Arthur Eggleton at a press conference. Canada was

the first of the NATO member states to ratify the joining of the three member states to the north Atlantic military organisation.

16 September

On Wednesday the Portuguese parliament ratified the NATO extension protocol, and so Hungary’s accession. The number of NATO member states with parliaments agreeing to the membership of Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland has risen to fourteen.

22 September

Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland are ready to join NATO as full members at the earliest possible moment, declared the Defence Ministers of the three states at their Budapest conference.

26 September

Full membership will effect changes in two areas, reported a Brussels news source. Due to the special status the Hungarian NATO envoy is attending the sessions of the North Atlantic Council, but for the time being without the right to vote. After joining Hungary will also have the right of veto and at the sessions of the council it will be allowed to propose items of the agenda. Hungarian representatives will be allowed onto committees, for example, the nuclear planning committee, which, at the moment, are closed to them. Another change will be that from the moment of joining Hungary will have to pay its share towards the costs of NATO’s budget.

OCTOBER

1 October

János Martonyi Foreign Minister met American leaders in Washington discussing, among other topics, the course of NATO accession. Jointly with Deputy secretary of state, Stroble Tabott, the American politician dealing with our region, it was agreed to that the "normal course" be followed, the process should not be rushed, but it also would not be practical to postpone the official joining until the NATO anniversary next April.

5 October

Richard Holbrooke took the final American warning to Belgrade before the NATO intervention. The British Foreign Secretary has also sent a message to Milosevic, Yugoslavian president that he had a few days to meet the demands of UN. Belgrade announced danger of war and implemented war tax.

6 October

Bill Clinton US President warned Milosevic Yugoslavian president that NATO is "ready for action" if Belgrade fails to perform its duties in connection with Kosovo. According to Boris Yeltsin Russian president there will be serious consequences if the Western military alliance intervenes in Yugoslavia.

The lower house of the Dutch parliament voted for the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary to join NATO with a large majority. The upper house will vote on the accession protocol later.

7 October

Bill Clinton US President received Viktor Orbán at the White House. After the visit the prime minister acknowledged that they had talked about the question of joining NATO, but they had not mention the formal date. Hungary is treated as a de facto NATO member state that does not need extra help to make its army meet NATO requirements. It does not make a difference if the country joins NATO in December or in April.

12 October

NATO gave Belgrade more time up to this evening to meet the demands of the UN, and as a part of these demands to withdraw its troops from Kosovo. NATO is expected to give the order of readiness, according to which the Head of the NATO European Forces can decide freely on putting into action the allied air force consisting of more than 340 craft.

Viktor Orbán, prime minister declared that a NATO request had arrived which asks Hungary to make its air-space available for the possible military action against Yugoslavia. The Prime Minister said that this issue had come up both at the talks with the US President and with the Defence Minister, but the request had only just been realised. In accordance with this he assembled the "military-council" for today and the assembly of an extraordinary, closed session of parliament will be initiated by the Parliament President. The Prime Minister was assured at the talks that the military organisation would protect Hungary in case of any threat.

13 October

Slobodan Milosevic Yugoslavian President has managed to ward off the danger of the NATO air strike threatening his country. Milosevic said after his negotiations with Richard Holbrooke US peace mediator: Belgrade agrees to the two thousand civilian delegates from the European Security and Co-operation Organisation coming to supervise the crisis solving agreement to be made with the Albanians of Kosovo.

The government supports the NATO request for the planes of the military organisation to use Hungarian air-space during possible action against Yugoslavia. The guarantees of the alliance are contained in a letter from Secretary General Javier Solana.

14 October

The parliament authorised NATO with a large majority to use the Hungarian air-space during a possible Kosovo strike.

15 October

Javier Solana NATO Secretary General visited Belgrade to call upon Slobodan Milosevic Yugoslavian President to meet international demands concerning Kosovo. Meanwhile the foreign ministers of the international linking group, who defined the schedule of the realisation of the Milosevic-Holbrooke agreement, held talks in Paris.

16 October

NATO prolonged the deadline of the mobilisation order issued for the intervention in Kosovo by ten days. The Activation Order given on Tuesday would have come into effect on Saturday, but the ambassadors of the member states agreed to postpone the deadline to 27th October.

19 October

Belgrade leaders reported to the West that they will finish withdrawing their troops from Kosovo by the ultimatum expiring on 27th October. Under the supervision of American spy planes two battalions have already left their positions. Meanwhile clashes broke out in Kosovo.

21 October

Viktor Orbán the Hungarian, Milos Zeman the Czech and Jerzy Buzek the Polish Prime Minister evaluated that there is a real chance for the three states to attend the festive NATO summit in Washington in April as full members of the organisation. The Hungarian, the Czech and the Polish Prime Ministers welcomed that Slovakia would be given the opportunity to make up for their integration handicap. Budapest is ready to co-operate with the future government of Bratislava, announced Viktor Orbán.

The Turkish parliament ratified the treaty on the three Central European states, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland, joining NATO.

24 October

Because of Russian opposition the resolution concerning Kosovo failed to be accepted in the UN Security Council. Western diplomats agreed that the withdrawal of Serb forces does not come up to expectations, but they disagree on its causes.

Budapest and Warsaw intend to ratify joining NATO on the same day. In order for this Viktor Orbán and Jerzy Buzek will ask the heads of the parliaments that the two parliaments place the issue on the agenda at the same time.

25 October

The UN Security Council accepted a decision in which they warn Belgrade to meet UN demands. However, it does not threaten Yugoslavian leaders directly with the use of force. Although the generals holding talks in Belgrade are still not satisfied with the Yugoslavian withdrawal of troops.

27 October

Just a few hours before the expiry of the deadline determined by NATO the Kosovo crisis is still confused. Today NATO envoys will have another session: they will review the situation and examine to what extent Slobodan Milosevic has met the demands of the UN resolution.

28 October

NATO decided not to implement air-strikes in Yugoslavia, but the military threat would remain. Late at night the NATO council postponed, for an undetermined time, the mobilisation order issued for the intervention in Kosovo. At the same time in Yugoslavia the withdrawal of troops was continuing until the last minutes of the expiry of the ultimatum, which was considered satisfactory by NATO judges.

The specialists of the Defence and Foreign Ministries and the Security and Defence Policy Co-ordination Secretariat of the Prime Minister's Office together with the representatives of the parliamentary parties discussed the plan of the of the security and defence principles of the Republic of Hungary. The drawing up of the security and defence principles dates back several years, to the period of the previous parliamentary cycle, what makes this urgent is that Hungary will soon join NATO. The approval of the principles is important because of joining the treaty system and it is also urgent because NATO itself is drawing up its new strategic concept.

The parliament approved with 281 votes for, 24 against and one abstention, with a qualified two third majority that the armoured cars of the Hungarian technical corps be equipped with heavy machine-guns. This is necessary because the Serbs reacted to the NATO action planned due to the crisis in Kosovo by declaring each state that assists NATO an aggressor. The parties of the coalition and the representatives present of MSZP (Hungarian Socialist Party) supported the motion of the government without exception, the SZDSZ (Alliance of Free Democrats) and MIÉP (Party of Hungarian Justice and Life) unanimously rejected it, Mihály Kupa independent representative abstained.

29 October

In Kosovo the special Serb police withdrew from the last Albanian village. International observers are satisfied with its pace on the whole. Specialists, however, pointed out that neither the Yugoslavian armed forces nor the Albanian guerrillas intend to completely surrender the territory.

30 October

On Friday NATO gave the go ahead for air supervision over Kosovo. According to an official announcement from Brussels the action begins next week. Its objective is to ensure that Yugoslavia keeps to the limit of the number of its troops positioned in the South Serbian province, and does not try to return its heavy artillery there.