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THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary 
                   (Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts)

For Immediate Release September 3, 1997

TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
TO THE CHAIRMAN AND RANKING MEMBER OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND SENATE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

September 3, 1997

Dear Mr. Chairman: (Dear Representative Hamilton:)

(Dear Senator Biden:)

In accordance with section 514(a) of Public Law 103-236 (22 U.S.C. 1928(a)), I am submitting to you this report on implementation of the Partnership for Peace (PFP) initiative.

The recent NATO Summit in Madrid highlighted the tremendous success of the Partnership for Peace and the important role PFP plays as a permanent security structure for the undivided Europe of the 21st century. On the second day of the Summit, 27 Partner Heads of State and Government met with their NATO counterparts under the auspices of the new Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. This meeting, the first of its kind, underscored the strength of the cooperative relationship NATO has built with the Partners in the 3-1/2 years since the creation of PFP.

The Partnership for Peace has been instrumental in helping countries prepare for NATO membership. At the same time, it has also been a critical tool in helping all the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, regardless of their desire to join NATO, to build stronger ties with the Alliance and develop closer cooperative relationships with all their neighbors. As you will see from the attached report, NATO and its Partners have made impressive progress in broadening and deepening the Partnership over the past year. With the creation of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and the implementation of enhancements to the PFP program, Allies and Partners together will help bring about our shared goal of a Euro-Atlantic community that is safe, secure, and united by common values and common understanding.

Sincerely,

WILLIAM J. CLINTON

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