TNAG-2090-FCO40-2975-Diplomatic-representation-of-third-countries-in-Hong-Kong-1991 — Page 250

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005737 MDHAN 3963

I WANT NOW TO FOCUS ON THE REST OF MY SPEECH.

IT INVOLVES LOOKING AHEAD AS NATO DID AT ITS ROME SUMMIT LAST NOVEMBER. NATO LEADERS REAFFIRMED THEM THAT DEVELOPMENT OF A EUROPEAN SECURITY IDENTITY AND DEFENCE ROLE WILL REINFORCE THE INTEGRITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE ALLIANCE.

THIS APPROACH WAS REFLECTED IN THE MAASTRICHT TREATY WHICH PRESAGES THE EMERGENCE OF AN EUROPEAN UNION WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT AND ORGANISE DEFENCE. NATO WILL REMAIN THE CORNER-STONE OF EUROPEAN DEFENCE AND ULTIMATE GUARANTOR OF THE DEFENCE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION. WITHIN THAT FRAMEWORK, WE SHOULD EXPECT A NUMBER OF GRADUAL BUT MAJOR CHANGES AHEAD.

FIRST IT WAS AGREED THAT THE EUROPEAN UNIONS COMMON FOREIGN AND SECURITY POLICY SHOULD INCLUDE THE EVENTUAL FRAMING OF A COMMON DEFENCE POLICY, WHICH MUST BE COMPATIBLE WITH NATO.

SECOND, IT WAS ALSO MADE CLEAR THAT THE BUILDING UP OF A SPECIFICALLY EUROPEAN CAPABILITY IN DEFENCE WILL BE ACHIEVED GRADUALLY AND MUST BE THROUGH THE WESTERN EUROPEAN UNION. FOR THOSE NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT, I SHOULD EXPLAIN THAT THE WEU IS AN AUTONOMOUS BODY OF EUROPEAN COUNTRIES FOUNDED UNDER ITS OWN TREATY IN 1948 AND WITH LONG-STANDING LINKS TO NATO. IT WILL REMAIN INDEPENDENT OF BOTH THE EUROPEAN UNION AND NATO, BUT WITH CLOSE LINKS TO BOTH.

ONE CRUCIAL PURPOSE OF DEVELOPING THE WEU MUST THEREFORE BE TO STRENGTHEN THE EUROPEAN PILLAR OF THE ALLIANCE.

WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS TIME FOR A PRACTICAL STEP FORWARD IN EUROPEAN DEFENCE IN ACCORDANCE WITH WHAT WE AGREED AT ROME AND MAASTRICHT. EUROPEAN ALLIES SHOULD NOW EXTEND THEIR ABILITY TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO INTERNATIONAL CRISIS RESOLUTION SEMI CLN ΤΟ PEACEKEEPING SEMI CLN AND TO HELP WITH SPECIFICALLY EUROPEAN CONCERNS WHERE NATO IS NOT INVOLVED.

THE SPECIFIC ROLES AND MISSIONS WHICH WOULD SEEM TO BE APPROPRIATE FOR WEU INCLUDE:

- RESPONSES TO THREATS TO EUROPEAN INTERESTS IN EUROPE WHEN NATO CHOOSES NOT TO BE ENGAGED, I MUST SAY THAT I FIND IT HARD TO CONCEIVE OF SIGNIFICANT COMBAT OPERATIONS IN EUROPE WHERE NATO WOULD NOT BE INVOLVED. MORE LIKELY ARE:

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