DATE=11/15/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=E-U - DEFENSE (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-256199
BYLINE=RON PEMSTEIN
DATELINE=BRUSSELS
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: For the first time, European Union foreign
ministers have met together with European Union
defense ministers to discuss the possibilities for
building an E-U defense force independent of NATO. As
Ron Pemstein reports from Brussels, there is a long
way to go.
TEXT: This initial meeting was to establish the
political will to give the European Union its own
military force capable of performing both military and
civilian tasks that NATO does not want to do. There
was a lot of discussion by the foreign and defense
ministers to make their plans transparent to NATO
since the European Union is likely for the short and
medium term to need NATO's military equipment to act
on its own.
There were suggestions for a rapid deployment force of
some 40- to 100-thousand soldiers who could quickly be
assembled for some peacekeeping or humanitarian
function. European Union members could decide whether
or not to take part in a specific mission or whether
non E-U members from NATO could participate such as
Turkey or Norway.
The European Union's defense coordinator, Javier
Solana, says such a European force will have to be
credible.
/// SOLANA ACT ///
What we have talked about today with the
ministers of foreign affairs and defense is
about how we can make this exercise as credible
as possible. We want to make it credible, and
in order to make it credible, we have to really
put as much emphasis on capabilities for the
Europeans, if we want to have capabilities for
the whole range of potential crisis-management
exercises or events that may come up to our
attention from the pure civilian aspects to the
pure military aspects and everything that is in
between.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Solana has left his job as Secretary General of
NATO to take responsibility for the European Union's
common foreign and security policies. He plans to
stay in touch with his successor at NATO, George
Robertson, to coordinate the separate European force.
The European foreign ministers have confirmed Mr.
Solana as the new Secretary-General of the West
European Union. That will give him a second job that
will fold the military assets of the W-E-U into the
European Union defense force. That is expected to be
completed by the end of next year. By that time, the
European Union will start planning the rapid
deployment force that might take several more years to
organize.
The European Union recognized during the war in Kosovo
that it did not have the transport, the satellite
intelligence or precision weapons that the United
States was able to mobilize. The Europeans were also
slow to send soldiers to the NATO peacekeeping force
in Kosovo. It is these deficiencies that they want to
correct.
That will require more defense spending in European
countries that have been cutting military budgets for
years. Finnish Foreign Minister Tarja Harlonen says
the ministers are willing to make the political
commitments for a separate European force but national
governments have other priorities.
/// HARLONEN ACT ///
Let's be very realistic: Yes, I think we have
the common will in that sense, but always when
you mention the word "money," then remember also
the ministers of finance.
/// END ACT ///
Easing the political difficulties is the fact that 11
of the 15 members of the European Union are also
members of NATO. (Signed)
NEB/RDP/WTW
15-Nov-1999 17:10 PM EDT (15-Nov-1999 2210 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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