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<TITLE>Polish Defense Minister Zbigniew Okonski...Partnership for Peace: An
Essential Element of the European Security System</TITLE>
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<CENTER><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+4">Partnership for Peace: An
Essential Element of the European Security System</FONT></FONT></CENTER>
<CENTER><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+3">Polish Minister of Defense
Zbigniew Okonski</FONT></FONT></CENTER>
<P><FONT SIZE="+1"> </FONT> </P>
<CENTER></CENTER>
<CENTER><B><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+1">A NEW PHASE IN THE
EUROPEAN SECURITY ARCHITECTURE</FONT></FONT></B></CENTER>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">It is evident that the
transformation of the European architecture has entered a new and decisive
phase. This phase is marked by two distinctive processes: the ongoing
debate on enlarging Western European structures, and the intensification
of the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, over which the European
community remains helpless. Both processes present new and difficult
challenges for us.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">It is also clear that the
Partnership for Peace program (PFP) is one of the most essential elements
of the emerging European security system. Because of PFP, the idea of
pan-European cooperation has been extended, enabling the West to become
more familiar with new Partners from the East. PFP contributed to the idea
of extending NATO to the East, and helped to unify thought on defense
matters on our continent. The Partnership also motivates us to make
internal changes in our armed forces, that is, to adapt them to NATO
procedures and to assure civilian democratic control over them.</FONT></FONT>
</P>
<CENTER></CENTER>
<CENTER><B><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+1">DEMOCRATIZATION IN
POLAND</FONT></FONT></B></CENTER>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">Given our present resources,
Poland is doing its best to speed up the process of adapting its economy,
society, public administration, and armed forces to the requirements of
the modern democratic state. For four consecutive years, we have had an
increase in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and I am proud to say that
55% of this GDP is now created in the private sector; six years ago, this
figure was only 10%. Also, about 60% of those employed work in the private
sector, so we can see that progress is being made in our country, in spite
of the many hardships our population has to live through. Adapting to and
implementing the requirements of the modern democratic state is very
important to us, more so than possessing a large number of well-trained
soldiers or sophisticated weapons. One of these requirements, namely,
civilian democratic control over the military, is of particular interest
to us as we shape our constitution and set up the basic relations between
the military and the different central institutions.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">Poland's continuing internal
debate on these issues, which you may interpret as contradictory and even
disturbing, is just a natural and positive way of finding the best
solutions that are acceptable to the whole society, and of conforming to
well-established international standards. This effort to find the best
solution is intensifying as we face the presidential election campaign and
is reflected in the many statements by politicians and political parties
aspiring to the first seats in the Polish democratic system.</FONT></FONT>
</P>
<CENTER></CENTER>
<CENTER><B><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+1">POLAND AND PARTNERSHIP
FOR PEACE</FONT></FONT></B></CENTER>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">Despite unquestionable successes
in Poland and elsewhere, however, Partnership for Peace has not yet
developed to its fullest potential. The cooperation generated by this
program is only just a small part of what we hope to achieve: the creation
of robust international security, stability, and solidarity.</FONT></FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">Now in the process of
implementing its second annual Individual Partnership Program, Poland
continues active cooperation with the North Atlantic Alliance; we hope to
become a co-originator of European security. We also believe that
participating in Partnership for Peace is the best venue to eventual full
membership in NATO. Joint peacekeeping exercises, organized and carried
out with the participation of NATO and Partner forces and their staffs,
are a very significant part of this program. Since the COOPERATIVE BRIDGE
Exercise, organized in September 1994 on Polish territory, peacekeeping
exercises have grown to the point where they present complex
organizational challenges. To meet all expectations, however, exercises
must be upgraded to division and corps-staff levels, as well as move from
classic peacekeeping to more of a peace-enforcement mode. Such exercises
seem more likely to provide a better answer to the contemporary threats
and conflicts we face in Europe.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">We, therefore, welcomed the
U.K.'s proposal to organize a corps-level staff exercise in 1997; this
proposal was tabled during the PFP Exercises Planning Conference on May 12
and 13 of this year. If such an exercise is eventually organized, Poland
is willing to participate in it actively, assigning some of its
division-level and brigade-level staffs and housing some of its elements
on our territory. In this way, over time, we would be able to develop
forces that are fully interoperable with NATO forces.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">As far as the PFP framework is
concerned, interoperability among forces can be achieved through the
defense Planning and Review Process. We are very interested in starting an
annual exercise program, which would enable coordination of exercises and
respond to the different expectations of the Partners. We also believe
that extending the NATO Status of Forces Agreement procedures will be very
helpful for Partners as they consider legal and practical questions
concerning the operation of their troops abroad.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">PFP activities also provide an
opportunity to develop cooperative relations with those neighbors who have
joined the program. Interaction will permit us to solidify and enrich our
agreements with neighbors and encourage friendly cooperation. We welcome
Russia's decision to participate in the PFP program. We will cooperate
with Ukraine and will do the same with Belarus and Russia if they accept
our initiatives. This will promote confidence, stability, and security in
this part of Europe. Continuing such relationships, even when we join
NATO, will also prevent borders between members and non-members from
becoming new division lines, and prevent distrust and animosity. We
strongly believe that extending the zone of consolidated democracy and
stability, which is embodied in the NATO Alliance, will contribute to the
democratic transformation of new members.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">Taking part in the PFP program
gives Poland the chance to take part in solving European crises. As a
Partner, we assume that we share the responsibility for maintaining peace
in Europe and for providing crisis management and conflict solutions, even
in regions far from our borders. Our national doctrine regarding
participation in the Partnership is to make available, on a gradual basis,
forces for cooperative activities, starting with particular sub-units,
units, and formations; in the longer term we will provide all operational
forces. Our detailed commitments in this regard have been specified in the
PFP planning and review process.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">During the first planning period
in 1996-1997, Poland will make available forces up to battalion-regiment
level for joint training exercises and operations: peacekeeping, search
and rescue, and humanitarian exercises. In addition, we will make
available some of our brigade and division-level commands and staffs for
joint training exercises to prepare for the participation of increased
forces in the next planning period.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">We can see that PFP has become
an important catchword in the international security dictionary. We
believe it will remain there, now and in the future, not just as one of
many ideas but as an essential element in the continuing European security
system.</FONT></FONT> </P>
<CENTER></CENTER>
<CENTER><B><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+1">CLOSING REMARKS</FONT></FONT></B></CENTER>
<P><FONT COLOR="#000000"><FONT SIZE="+0">We in Poland are very anxious to
host the next NATO Workshop in one of our cities, several of which, like
Dresden, are cultural and historical centers of Central Europe. A formal
invitation from the Polish government will be issued shortly. Meanwhile,
let me ask you to consider "Regional Security Cooperation" as a
possible theme for this future event. We propose this theme because we
understand the importance of regional stability and the need for a
regional framework for cooperation for peace and stability throughout the
continent, particularly since we live in such a historically volatile
region. Poland's friendly and intensive interactions with neighboring
regions such as the Baltic permit us to assume that debate on such a theme
would be both interesting and beneficial to us all.</FONT></FONT> </P>
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