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<TITLE>Bulgarian President Zhelyu Zhelev...NATO, Partnership for Peace, and
the New Europe: A Bulgarian View</TITLE>
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<CENTER><FONT SIZE="+4">NATO, Partnership for Peace, and the New Europe: A
Bulgarian View</FONT></CENTER>
<CENTER><FONT SIZE="+3">President of the Republic of Bulgaria Zhelyu
Zhelev</FONT></CENTER>
<P>In 1994 I had the honor of signing Partnership for Peace (PFP) framework
agreement on behalf of the Republic of Bulgaria. In 1995 a PFP report
described Bulgaria as the most active state in Partnership for Peace
undertakings. In March, at NATO Headquarters, I stated that a major
foreign policy priority of the Republic of Bulgaria was adopting the
structures needed for full integration into the European and Euro-Atlantic
alliances. I would like to assure you today that, in spite of our great
shortage of financial resources, the Republic of Bulgaria is continuing to
move ahead with this involvement and in this direction with great vigor.
</P>
<P>One of the biggest activities within the PFP framework, Cooperative
Determination `96, will be held soon. Several hundred servicemen from NATO
member-states and PFP Partner states will take part. The exercise, which
involves training to conduct a relief operation in case of a natural
disaster, supports my strong belief that the transformation of one of the
most important European security structures, NATO, is moving in the right
direction. So too do the changes in the training requirements and in the
manning of forces designed to operate in crisis areas. </P>
<P>However, I would also like to emphasize that I believe NATO must be more
effective in preventing military conflicts on this continent, and that
European integration must be speeded up. The Republic of Bulgaria is
currently conducting its intensive dialogue for NATO membership, and I am
optimistic that by the year 2000 one of NATO's new member-states will be
the Republic of Bulgaria. </P>
<P>As we conduct our enhanced membership dialogue, the Republic of
Bulgaria, in line with our plan to reform our armed forces, is actively
working on our military doctrine and military equipment in order to ensure
a high degree of compatibility with NATO. We are pleased to state that
there are no significant differences between NATO's strategic concept, the
military doctrines of NATO member-states, and the military doctrine of
Bulgaria. We have begun adapting the corps and brigade organizations, and
main staffs of the services. Joining the Planning and Review Process has
helped us to identify the objectives, missions, and scope of activities,
and is helping us to achieve operational compatibility. We pay special
attention to communications standards for both personnel and equipment.
</P>
<CENTER></CENTER>
<CENTER><B><FONT SIZE="+1">NATO AND EU ENLARGEMENT</FONT></B></CENTER>
<P>While there is hardly a more significant issue in the area of
international relations than that of NATO enlargement, what is important
to us about enlargement is its political motivationóthe wish to
support democratic institutions and to guarantee human rights, including
the right to private initiative and property. Such motivation coincides
with the criteria of the European Union (EU), to which Bulgaria last year
submitted its official candidacy for full membership. We have every reason
to expect that enlargement of the two alliances will take place
simultaneously, and that membership in NATO, EU, and the Western European
Union (WEU) will largely grow in the future. </P>
<P>While the Republic of Bulgaria wishes to join NATO and EU, we do not
wish to be the cause of new dividing lines in Europe, or to become an
island standing outside the new European security architecture. Our
neighbors to the south, Turkey and Greece, are already NATO members, and
Romania and Macedonia have expressed their interest in joining. NATO
enlargement will categorically confirm the right of these same European
democracies to a free choice in the security area. The decisions on
admitting new members should be taken by both NATO and the applicant
states; no country outside NATO should be allowed to deter or block this
process. However, NATO will need to continue to interact intensively with
other international organizations that share in European security
responsibilities, especially WEU and OSCE. </P>
<CENTER></CENTER>
<CENTER><B><FONT SIZE="+1">BULGARIA AND REGIONAL CONCERNS</FONT></B></CENTER>
<P>In addition to working with organizations to promote Euro-Atlantic
security, Bulgaria will also contribute, according to its abilities, to
regional security. We will continue to help implement the Dayton Accords,
which call on the warring parties and their neighbors to spare no effort
to reach lasting peace and stable development in the Balkans. We will also
continue to promote dialogue and understanding of the Balkans,
reconstruction, compensation for damages, and the realization of
large-scale infrastructure projects. </P>
<CENTER></CENTER>
<CENTER><B><FONT SIZE="+1">CONCLUDING REMARKS</FONT></B></CENTER>
<P>The Republic of Bulgaria does not conceal the fact that we seek
cooperation with and membership in NATO as a guarantee of our security.
However, we also wish to work with NATO member-countries to contribute to
the cooperative efforts in the areas of economic development and the
prevention of crime and money laundering, because these are the main needs
of the new democracies in Eastern Europe. </P>
<P><A HREF="Zhelev.htm">Go to top of page</A> <BR><A HREF="Workshop96.htm">Return to Warsaw '96</A> <BR>
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