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NIN:” YUGOSLAVIA LIKELY TO
JOIN NATO’S “PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE”. BUT NATIONAL INTERESTS SHOULD BE
CLEARLY DEFINED FIRST
A special supplement has come out to the Yugoslav weekly “NIN” devoted to a possible participation of Yugoslavia in NATO’s “Partnership for Peace” programme. One can find there views expressed by various Yugoslav experts, politicians, economists, and military officers. According to the weekly’s authors, Yugoslavia’s negative attitude towards the North-Atlantic Alliance was formed from the very moment it was founded. Then, in 1949, NATO’s military machinery was aimed to protect the interests of capitalist countries, which, in turn, were trying to do their best to destroy socialism, including that in Yugoslavia.
A country which is intending to enter the programme is supposed to prove its commitment to democratic reform, to observing international law, first of all, the UN Charter, and the international Humans Rights Declaration. It is exactly what Yugoslavia is also required to do by the international community. At the same time, according to “NIN,” while trying to seriously discuss the issue, the West carefully circumvents one of the principal points, notably: what is going to be the cost of the procedure, or how much money will it take for Yugoslavia to be finally recognized as “fit?”
Here, according to NIN, it is necessary to properly weigh and figure out how much money will Yugoslavia need to keep on defending itself independently and how much if it joins the NATO programme. Under the “Partnership for Peace” programme’s terms, a newcomer country will be required to fully restructure its armed forces in compliance with the standards accepted with the alliance. In particular, political analyst Ranko Petkovic is cited by NIN as writing in this connection in his book “Yugoslavia and the post-bipolar world:” You can clearly see it from Poland’s experience that maintaining independent defences for a small country would be much more costly than same within the NATO framework.” Assessing such poor countries as Albania, Macedonia, Kyrghyzstan, and Moldova, the Yugoslav analyst concludes that incorporating those countries in the “Partnership for Peace” programme would be much cheaper for them than their non-alliance. So, Yugoslavia, in Mr. Petkovic’s view, would also benefit in doing so both militarily and economically.
After the demise of Mr. Milosevic’s regime, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has abruptly changed its foreign policy vector, NIN writes. Now, Yugoslavia tends to get closer to the countries of the “developed West” and to join “all major economic and military institutions of the international community.” At the same time, the country’s national interests have not yet been determined clearly enough, and this fact hampers the constructive continuation of the debates as to joining the partnership, and makes Yugoslavia’s position rather shaky.
The NIN weekly supplement also publishes arguments voiced by Prvoslav Davinic, one of FRYu’s representatives in rthe organization “The Pact on the Stability of South-Eastern Europe.” He, in particular, says the following.
“Changes have taken place here in our country since it went through the NATO intervention. The prevalent view that seems to have formed by now is that if you cannot protect yourself independently (which is really very difficult at the present time), then you will have to acquire allies, partners who are able to render you assistance and support. In my view, the “Partnership for Peace” programme is a positive programme , and it is, what is very important, very flexible.
Certainly, Yugoslavia does not have to join the programme. If it does, it will have to cooperate very carefully and be aware of possible dangers. Decision on each particular issue should be taken on the basis of a comprehensive and specific analysis and in accordance with national interests. Generally sopeaking, when our politicians and diplomats, and all of us, are clearly determined as for our national interests, then we will know it for sure whom we are to enter allied relationships with. As the joining the Partnership for Peace programme is concerned, the main thing for us is not to be in a hurry.”
SERGEI STEPHANOV
PRAVDA.Ru
www.antic.org
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