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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release October 5, 1999

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

October 5, 1999

Dear Mr. Chairman:

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

As noted in last year's report to the Congress, PFP has been a critical tool in helping all the Partners, 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 Allies and Partners have managed to create a fundamentally different Partnership through the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) and PFP enhancements.

The EAPC and PFP have provided a means for incorporating Partners into NATO's operation in Bosnia, assisting Albania in rebuilding its armed forces, and helping Partners in Southeastern Europe cope with the Kosovo crisis. Enhancements to PFP provide a solid foundation for closer NATO-Partner collaboration and a mechanism for Partners to develop the interoperability with NATO that will be necessary for future NATO-led Allied/Partner missions.

Sincerely,

WILLIAM J. CLINTON

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