CIAO DATE: 05/2008
May 2001
Austrian National Defence Academy
Foreword
The PfP Consortium of Defence Academies and Security Studies Institutes
finds its roots in a proposal by US Secretary of Defence Cohen at the
meeting of the Ministers of Defence of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership
Council on 12 June 1998. The Consortium aims primarily at strengthening
the institutional co-operation between the 44 Euro-Atlantic Partner
Countries. In this way, a higher level of professionalism and
efficiency can be reached in the fields of training and education of
both soldiers and civil servants.
Within the framework of the "Washington Summit" in April 1999, the PfP
Education and Training Program was welcomed by the governments of NATO
and EAPC countries. It is based upon three initiatives, namely the
"PfP-Consortium of Defence Academies and Security Studies Institutes",
the "PfP Simulation Network" and the "Co-operative Network of PfP
Training Centres". Their main efforts centre on joint civilian and
military training and education on the national security-political and
strategic levels of planning with an aim of strengthening
multinationality. In this network between professionals, scientists and
experts, substantial exchange of information can take place on various
levels.
One part of this network, the Working Group "Crisis Management in
Southeast Europe", is headed by the Institute for International Peace
Support of the Austrian National Defence Academy (IIF/LVAk).
As Head of the Institute, I would like to stress the enormous
security-political relevance of the work of this Working Group: Austria
understands her role within the Working Group as providing a firm basis
for dialogue on matters that have been a pivot of European politics
during the last decade.
The unique character of the Consortium Working Group on Southeast
Europe finds its aim in bringing together military and civilian
research institutions and academies concerned with security politics
from the region. Through the improved access to information, academies
and institutions will be able to improve the efficiency of their
training. Security-political institutions are being offered the chance
of channelling the results of their research directly into the
educational system. The results of the Conference in Ohrid should be a
part of the information provided by the Consortium to improve
efficiency.
In accordance with this basic concept the Working Group aims at
furthering the unique academic dialogue that has been created between
its participants at the Workshop in Reichenau in May 2000 and the
Conference in Ohrid in October 2000 with a perspective of improving the
coherence within the Euro-Atlantic strategic community.
Finally I want to thank all participants of the Ohrid Conference for
their efforts in taking part in the presentations and discussions that
have been both informative for all interested in this issues and
helpful for the co-operative relations of the countries from the
Southeast European region. Special thanks should go to Prof. Biljana
Vankovska who did a tremendous work as the organiser of this event.
Col Gustav E. Gustenau
Chairman of the Working Group "Crisis Management SEE
(South East Europe)"
Resource link: Ten Years After (Vol II) Democratisation and Security Challenges in South East Europe [PDF] - 988K