Slovenia follows the cooperation of partner countries in the PfP and participates in the work of the Euro-Atlantic Council.

Slovenia supports the need for ensuring the “attraction” of the PfP by means of active dialogue and participation in joint operations, taking into account experience, knowledge and specifics of the region. Political and defence and military cooperation, as well as the exchange of information, should provide the main lever for further development and cooperation within the PfP.

Slovenia supports further development of NATO partnerships demonstrating the global nature of NATO’s mission.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia were invited to join the Partnership for Peace at the Riga NATO Summit and officially joined the PfP on 14 December 2006. In Riga, Slovenia advocated the position that prosperity of the entire region must be placed at the forefront in the fundamental issues of NATO’s policies towards the Western Balkans and that all three candidates must be immediately admitted to the PfP. In principle, their admission to the PfP is an important milestone in their relations with NATO and an even more important opportunity for reform endeavours in all fields, particularly in the field of defence sector reform.

The new framework is crucial for cooperation within all three regional initiatives that openly or indirectly require PfP membership (particularly the Adriatic Initiative or the Adriatic Charter).

Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC)

In light of strengthening the relations, the Allies decided to give the partners more opportunity to participate in NATO-led operations and thus a greater chance for them to participate in the decision-making. The EAPC has established the Partnership Action Plan on Defence Institution Building, which helps the partners in democratic defence institution building.  

At the Istanbul Summit, NATO Member Countries decided that within the EAPC the Alliance would particularly focus on Central Asia and the Caucasus. As a result, NATO Secretary General appointed a special envoy for the region, Deputy Assistant Secretary General Robert Simmons, and a NATO liaison officer.

NATO’s increased engagement in the countries of the region results from the interest in strengthening cooperation in the fight against terrorism, trafficking in drugs, the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, etc.

On 24 and 25 May 2005, Sweden hosted the first Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council Security Forum, an informal meeting of high representatives of the Allies and partner countries, representatives of non-governmental organisations and national parliaments. Its purpose was to promote dialogue and thus strengthen public awareness regarding the importance of the EAPC and its achievements to date.

The second EAPC Security Forum was held between 28 and 29 June 2007 in Ohrid. The discussion at the Forum centred around Afghanistan, Kosovo and the future of the Balkans, and energy security.

More information is available at: www.nato.int/pfp/eapc-cnt.htm

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