§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Prague Summit, with particular reference to increasing European defence capability, interoperability and enlargement. [84847]
§ Mr. HoonThe NATO Summit in Prague on 21–22 November opened a new chapter in the Alliance's history aimed at ensuring that NATO has the tools to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Alliance leaders agreed a comprehensive package of measures: a streamlined Command Structure; a new NATO Response Force; reinvigorated Alliance Partnership programmes, including building on the success of the NATO-Russia Council; and modernisation of NATO's internal structures and processes.
The Summit also launched a new capabilities initiative, the 'Prague Capabilities Commitment' (PCC), which will focus on improvements in Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defence, Information Superiority, Combat Effectiveness, and Deployability and Sustainability. Interoperability and multinational solutions to capability shortfalls are key themes of the initiative. The PCC will be complementary to the European Union's Headline Goal.
Invitations to join the Alliance were issued to seven countries. Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia will now begin accession talks, with formal accession expected in 2004. The invitees will continue to prepare for membership through NATO's Membership Action Plan.