§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
What co-ordination there is in NATO regarding statements made either by NATO officials or by representatives of individual member states about the eastward expansion of NATO, and about such developments as the US bases purportedly to be set up next year under NATO auspices in Hungary and Romania, as recently stated by a US Administration official.
§ Lord CheshamThe Alliance frequently discusses NATO enlargement, including at meetings of the Allies' Permanent Representatives in Brussels. NATO officials are obliged to represent policy agreed by all the Allies when speaking officially on behalf of the organisation. We understand that the United States Department of Defense has corrected the misinterpretation in the media of the statement to which the noble Lord refers.
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are aware that all parties in the Russian Duma, members of which recently visited this country, agree that NATO's expansion eastwards threatens Russia's interests and if these views are among those deemed "emotional rather than well-founded" by Mr. Solana in his recent speech in Moscow.
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§ Lord CheshamWe are aware of Russian concerns about NATO enlargement. The Alliance is addressing these concerns in developing its wider relationship with Russia and has made it clear that the enlargement process will threaten no-one.
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether NATO Secretary-General Solana was speaking for all NATO members when he said in Moscow that "The decision to expand NATO was taken in 1994 and will be carried out regardless of circumstances", and that Russia's objections were "emotional rather than well-founded"; and whether these remarks had been approved by the Greek Government, whose Foreign Minister has recently stated that "Russia's opinion as a great European power must be heeded and taken into account with all respect".
§ Lord CheshamNATO Heads of State, at their meeting in Brussels in 1994, took the decision to enlarge the Alliance as part of a wider process of enhancing security and stability in the whole of Europe. All NATO Allies remain firmly committed to this.
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
What meaning is to be attached to NATO Secretary-General Solana's words in Moscow recently to the effect that NATO's expansion eastwards could not threaten Russia's interests because it "serves the purpose of ensuring Europe's security against regional conflicts and proliferation of nuclear armaments", given that one major European Power, Russia, holds an opposite opinion, and that NATO expansion eastwards would carry NATO nuclear deployments eastwards.
§ Lord CheshamNATO's study into the "how and why" of enlargement, produced in September 1995, made clear that NATO enlargement will threaten no-one, and will contribute to a broad European security architecture based on true co-operation throughout the whole of Europe. The study also noted that there is noa priori requirement for the stationing of nuclear weapons on the territory of new members.