Military

Background

These steps include the PFP program, which NATO initiated in 1994. Twenty-seven non-NATO members now participate in PFP (see fig. 1). PFP objectives include fostering democratization in partners' defense establishments; encouraging joint planning, training, and military exercises with NATO forces; promoting the ability of partner nations to operate with NATO forces in humanitarian relief, search and rescue, peacekeeping, and other agreed-upon missions; and developing forces that are better able to operate with NATO forces. To implement the program, NATO and each PFP partner develop a plan that depicts NATO-proposed exercises and other PFP-related activities of interest to the partner and lists the partner's military and other assets that might be used for PFP activities. NATO expects partners to fund their participation. NATO views partners' level of participation in PFP activities as an important indicator of their interest in joining NATO and, according to DOD officials, has structured PFP as one means of helping partners become better integrated with NATO members.

In July 1994, the U.S. President announced the Warsaw Initiative, a U.S. bilateral program designed to:

1. facilitate the participation of partner states in exercises and interoperability programs,
2. promote interoperability with NATO,
3. support efforts to increase defense and military cooperation with PFP partners, and
4. develop strong candidates for NATO membership.

The Departments of State and Defense jointly fund and administer the initiative. The Department of State funds equipment transfers and training, while DOD supports partners' participation in joint exercises and NATO-PFP interoperability projects. Also, the Department of State and DOD provide training and advice through the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program and the Joint Contact Team (JCT) program and donate excess defense articles.

The Department of State and DOD agencies programmed about $308.6 million in fiscal year 1995-97 funds to support these efforts in 23 PFP partner states. The Department of State's programs are funded through the 150 international affairs budget function and account for about 48 percent of these funds. The DOD programs are funded through the 050 national defense budget function and account for about 52 percent of the funds.

To facilitate NATO expansion, the President and Congress enacted the NATO Participation Act of 1994 and the NATO Enlargement Facilitation Act of 1996, which authorized the President to establish security assistance programs for Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and any other countries the President believes have made progress in achieving PFP goals. The fiscal year 1997 Foreign Operations Appropriations Act also earmarked $30 million for foreign military financing grants for the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland and allocated $20 million⁵ to subsidize lending up to $242.5 million for purchases of U.S. defense articles, services, and training by these three countries.