§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether in his discussions with President Yeltsin on the subject of the eastwards extension of NATO, President Clinton is speaking on behalf of the North Atlantic Alliance, or of NATO, or the United States only.
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey)The US/Russian Summit in Moscow on 10 May was a bilateral meeting. But there is consensus between NATO member states on the Alliance's enlargement policy.
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have agreed to accept whatever terms President Clinton offers to President Yeltsin on the extension eastwards of NATO.
§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseyAll NATO Allies are agreed that Russia does not need to be compensated for enlargement. Instead, the Alliance wishes to build a comprehensive and lasting NATO/Russia relationship which will reflect the unique role Russia plays in European security. We feel that the US/Russian Summit in Moscow will contribute to this objective.
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
What information they have concerning the United States' Republican Party's commitment to the extension of NATO eastwards in its "Contract with America".
§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseyThe Republican Party's "Contract with America" asserted that Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia should be in a position to join NATO by 1999; that the United States should help them prepare for admission; and that other non-member European countries should be invited to join NATO if they agreed to contribute to North Atlantic security. Draft legislation reflecting these principles is currently under consideration by the US Congress.
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether in their view NATO could continue to operate by consensus if all the east and central European states mentioned by the United States as desirable members of NATO were to be allowed to join.
§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseyThe US Administration has not identified those east and central European states it regards as desirable members of NATO. Neither has any other Ally. The Alliance has agreed to conduct first a study into the modalities and rationale for enlargement. Which countries might be invited to join, and when, is for a later date.
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§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the proposed extension eastwards of NATO would involve any NATO member deploying nuclear weapons in Eastern Europe or being committed automatically to the defence of countries whose respect for the human rights of their citizens may be less than exemplary.
§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseyThe deployment of nuclear weapons on new members' territory is being addressed in the NATO enlargement study. Article V of the Washington Treaty states,inter alia, that "an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all …". This would apply equally to any new member of NATO.
§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the 'New NATO' to which the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (General George A. Joulwan) was referring in his presentation to the Royal United Services Institute on 25th January 1995, and in particular what is the grand new vision to which he also referred.
§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseySince the end of the cold war, NATO has done much valuable work in adapting to the new security environment in Europe. It has set itself the task of extending security and stability to the new democracies of central and eastern Europe, through the establishment of the North Atlantic Co-operation Council, the launch of Partnership for Peace and its eventual enlargement eastwards. It has offered to support peacekeeping and other operations under the authority of the UN Security Council or the responsibility of the OSCE. It has agreed on the importance of a strong European defence effort as a pillar underpinning the Atlantic Alliance.