Brochure: Security through partnership

This brochure seeks to explain the basic principles underlying the Euro-Atlantic Partnership and its essential mechanisms. It then focuses on ?ve key spheres of activity - security dialogue and cooperation, peace-support operations, defence reform, disaster-preparedness, and cooperation in the areas of science and the environment - which show how Euro-Atlantic security is enhanced through Partnership and how cooperation is of genuine, practical relevance to Partner countries.

Partnership activities can be seen to impact positively on reform, on the development of democratic structures, and on the participation of Partner countries in multinational cooperation as members of the wider international community. Such activities include not only the well-reported peace-support operations in the Balkans and Afghanistan but also cooperation in many other areas such as the fight against terrorism, defence reform, economic aspects of security, disaster-preparedness, arms control, logistics, air defence, airspace management, armaments, education and training, science and the environment, and information programmes.

NATO has also developed special relationships with two Partner countries, Russia and Ukraine, and with the seven countries participating in the Mediterranean Dialogue. Moreover, the Alliance is exploring possibilities for cooperation with countries in the broader region of the Middle East through an initiative launched at the June 2004 Istanbul Summit. While these relationships are not covered speci?cally in this brochure, current and prospective cooperation with these countries builds on many of the activities and mechanisms developed in the framework of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership.