Developed on a two-year basis, such plans are designed to bring together all the various cooperation mechanisms through which a partner country interacts with the Alliance, sharpening the focus of activities to better support their domestic reform efforts.
What does this mean in practice?
An IPAP should clearly set out the cooperation objectives and priorities of the individual partner country, and ensure that the various mechanisms in use correspond directly to these priorities. NATO will provide focused, country-specific advice on reform objectives. Intensified political dialogue on relevant issues may be an integral part of an IPAP process.
IPAPs will also make it easier to coordinate bilateral assistance provided by individual Allies and partner countries, as well as to coordinate efforts with other relevant international institutions.
Objectives covered fall into the general categories of political and security issues; defence, security and military issues; public information; science and environment; civil emergency planning; and administrative, protective security and resource issues.
How did it evolve?
On 29 October 2004, Georgia became the first country to agree an IPAP with NATO. Azerbaijan agreed one on 27 May 2005, Armenia on 16 December 2005, Kazakhstan on 31 January 2006, and Moldova on 19 May 2006. Early 2008, two Balkan countries -- Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro -- started working with NATO on developing IPAPs. Montenegro presented its IPAP to NATO in June 2008.
