Press Release (97)128 24 Oct. 1997

NATO-Russia Statement on the 24 October Permanent Joint Council Meeting at Ambassadorial Level The third meeting of the NATO-Russia Permanent Joint Council PJC at Ambassadorial level took place on Friday 24 October 1997 at NATO Headquarters, Brussels. The representatives of NATO and Russia exchanged views on measures to promote cooperation, transparency and confidence between NATO and Russia in broad terms and highlighted the wide range of relevant activities foreseen in the Founding Act to this end. Ambassadors had an exchange of views on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including NATO-Russia cooperation in SFOR. They stressed the importance of fully implementing the results of the recent municipal elections in the country, and agreed on the need to support the OSCE in its task to supervise the forthcoming elections in the Republika Srpska. Ambassadors reviewed the implementation of the Work Programme for the Permanent Joint Council until the end of 1997, which had been approved at the first Ministerial meeting of the PJC on 26 September in New York. They agreed on a schedule of political consultations leading up to the December PJC Ministerial. They also set up a politico-military working group of experts on peacekeeping. They agreed that expert level meetings will be held to update the Russian Individual Partnership Programme under PfP as soon as possible and to prepare consultations on nuclear weapons issues and to determine the potential scope for armaments- related cooperation. Steps will be taken to prepare a Ministerial decision on the opening of a NATO documentation centre in Moscow next January. Ambassadors underscored the importance of yesterday's visit of Russia's Chief of the General Staff, General Kvashnin, to NATO Headquarters and the need to increase defence-related and military cooperation. All participants welcomed the appointment of Lieutenant-General Zavarzin as Russia's military representative to NATO and expressed their satisfaction about the prospect of intensified military-to-military contacts The next meeting of the Joint Council is scheduled for 24 November.