20 February 1998
(SACEUR joined by Czech DefMin Lobkowicz and Gen. Nekvasil) (2570) Prague -- General Wesley Clark, Supreme Allied Commander - Europe, said that on this his first visit to the Czech Republic, he had come "to learn and to exchange views about the process of NATO enlargement and Czech Republic's role as a prospective new member of NATO." In a joint press conference with Minister of Defense of the Czech Republic Michal Lobkowicz February 20, the General Clark noted "very positive steps" the Ministry of Defense and the Czech Government are taking. "We are seeing the increases in funding, the support for military reform and the upsurge in public support which are very encouraging in view of the prospective NATO membership. "Your Minister and I also discussed the work in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and I expressed my appreciation for the contribution of the outstanding Czech battalion there. Your soldiers are doing an outstanding job in supporting the stabilization force and helping bring peace and stability to that war-troubled region," General Clark said. In a second press conference with by General Nekvasil, both generals were asked if they thought Czech troops might participate in the event of a war against Iraq. General Clark responded: "First of all, let me explain that I am here as the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe. So, I am here consulting on NATO matters. "On the other hand, I think people all over the world have to be rightly concerned with the situation in Iraq and its continued defiance of the United Nations Security Council resolutions. I think many nations around the world have made clear that Saddam Hussain cannot continue to defy the will of the United Nations Security Council. As for Czech participation in any military alternative, this will be a matter for national authorities in the Czech Republic to discuss with the American authorities." General Nekvasil pointed out that he and General Clark had not included the issue of Iraq in their discussions. Following are transcripts of the two press conferences made available by the U.S. Information Service in Prague: (Begin transcript of press conference of General Wesley Clark and Czech Defense Minister Lobkowicz) MODERATOR: Let me welcome the Minister of Defense of the Czech Republic, Michal Lobkowicz, and the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, General Wesley Clark. I would like to ask Minister Lobkowicz and then General Clark to briefly summarize their meeting. I would like to remind you that we are short of time because Minister Lobkowicz is due at the Prague Castle shortly for his first meeting with the President. MINISTER LOBKOWICZ: Good day, ladies and gentlemen, General Clark and I discussed the state of preparations of our military for NATO admission. I appreciate the fact that General Clark has arrived in the Czech Republic now when our ratification process begins. (This is) a ratification process at the end of which the Czech Republic should become a member of NATO. These days are very important to us. I reconfirmed our determination to assume our share of responsibility for settling the situation in Bosnia. I also reconfirmed our determination to participate in the peace operations in Bosnia if they continue, and our conviction that they should continue. We discussed concrete moves that are needed to be made before we join NATO. I informed the General that one of our fundamental priorities is to fulfill the interoperability goals that are ahead of us. We spoke about what are called "target force goals" which we have obtained and should fulfill before we are admitted. We discussed yet another priority task we are facing, which is the personnel issues in our military, and another big priority -- communication with the public, and transparency of all these processes. Thank you. GEN. CLARK: Well, thank you very much and good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I am here on my first visit to the Czech Republic, and I came to learn and to exchange views about the process of NATO enlargement and Czech Republic's role as a prospective new member of NATO. I am very encouraged by the very positive steps the Ministry is taking and the Czech Government is taking. We are seeing the increases in funding, the support for military reform and the upsurge in public support which are very encouraging in view of the prospective NATO membership. Your Minister and I also discussed the work in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and I expressed my appreciation for the contribution of the outstanding Czech battalion there. Your soldiers are doing an outstanding job in supporting the stabilization force and helping bring peace and stability to that war-troubled region. Now I'll he very happy to take your questions. MODERATOR: Now, it's time for your questions. Let me remind you that we have only three minutes. First, Prima Television and then Mlada fronta DNES. Question: Good morning, Martin Vanek, Prima TV: I want to ask General Clark how he sees the possibility of the Czech Republic holding a referendum on joining NATO? GEN. CLARK: Well, that's a political question, that's really something that's internal, that's for the Czech governmental authorities to decide. I'll tell you that we are very encouraged at the upsurge in public support that's reflected in the polls and also the increased funding for the Czech armed forces. The internal processes of reforms seem to be going well and interoperability training is progressing, and I expressed my confidence that the Czech armed forces are going to be ready when Czech Republic is admitted to NATO. MINISTER LOBKOWICZ: I would like to comment briefly. As I mentioned earlier, a ratification process is due to start shortly (in our parliament), and I think that it is a good opportunity for a deeper discussion about our NATO membership, a discussion that is very much needed, very important. I think that such a debate, (such an) openness towards our public is more important than a referendum. MODERATOR: Mr. Gazdik Mlada fronta Dnes. I am sorry, this will have to be the last question at this meeting. QUESTION: Gazdik, Mlada fronta Dnes: The state of our military and its problems are very well known. I would like to know from where General Clark draws his optimism that the Czech military can be an asset if (we) are admitted to NATO. Also, do you think, what the Czech military should focus on in the next fourteen or fifteen months? GEN. CLARK: Well, I think there are two things that are very encouraging to me. First of all, I think the planning is realistic and properly based. And secondly, as we can all see by the results of the Czech work in Bosnia, you have got some outstanding people in your armed forces. Good planning and good people -- those are the ingredients of a solid contribution to NATO. And I think looking ahead that you have got to move forward in the area of interoperability and continue to work on the target force proposals and the partnership for peace in the interoperability objectives that have been so very well laid out by the Czech Ministry of Defense. MINISTER LOBKOWICZ: I would like to add that it is very important to us that currently, we have not only an elite unit in Bosnia, but, also, there is a samaritan unit of the Czech military deployed there. I told General Clark that our goal is to spread the quality that is so apparent in Bosnia, to the rest of the (Czech) military. This is one of our most important tasks for the future. I take pride on this eagle that I received from the General and that will have its place among these books. I think it is a beautiful present and a great symbol of (the process of) our integration with NATO. Thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you, and also thank you, General Clark. (End first transcript) (Begin transcript of press conference with General Nekvasil) GENERAL NEKVASIL: In the beginning, we informed the General about the history of the (Czech) military. Then, we had five minutes to outline our goals and plans up to the years 2005 and 2008. Then, we discussed Bosnia and integration of our units into NATO structures. General Clark then focused on our personnel policy in general and establishing (new) categories of servicemen -- NCOs -- in particular. The discussion was candid. I appreciate the assistance SHAPE has been offering us in filling out the DPQ forms and the work on target force goals. GEN. CLARK: Well, thank you very much ladies and gentlemen. It is a real pleasure for me to be here on my first visit to the Czech Republic. The purpose of my coming was to gain information on Czech programs to ready the armed forces for membership in NATO and to find avenues for further assistance in cooperative work together. And I think we're starting on a strong basis because of the excellent work that the Czech Republic has done in the Partnership for Peace program. This program and Czech Republic's work in early restructuring of the armed forces paid the obvious dividends of a very successful mission by the Czech battalion in Bosnia-Herzegovina. And I am very pleased to have seen in my discussions here with General Nekvasil the deepening of the work in terms of Partnership for Peace, the interoperability objectives, the concrete programs to attain these objectives and the farsighted planning that is going on inside the General Staff. So in conclusion, I am very, very encouraged by what I am seeing in the Czech Republic. And I will be happy to take your questions. MODERATOR: Your questions now, please. Mr. Pospisil, NOVA TV. QUESTION: Pospisil, NOVA TV: A question for both generals: The current rhetoric, the ever more vigorous rhetoric of the American diplomacy suggests that the war in the Persian Gulf, or the war against Iraq is, more or less, in the offing. Do you think that Czech troops might participate in this war now or later like seven years ago, in 1991? And a second question: Can you tell us how strong the contingent should be which would go to Bosnia after the SFOR [NATO-led Stabilization Force] mission is over, including participation or Czech troops? GEN. CLARK: First of all, let me explain that I am here as the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe. So, I am here consulting on NATO matters. On the other hand, I think people all over the world have to be rightly concerned with the situation in Iraq and its continued defiance of the United Nations Security Council resolutions. I think many nations around the world have made clear that Saddam Hussain cannot continue to defy the will of the United Nations Security Council. As for Czech participation in any military alternative, this will be a matter for national authorities in the Czech Republic to discuss with the American authorities. Now at NATO headquarters in Brussels the discussion on the follow-on force in Bosnia-Herzegovina continues. I think the various nations of NATO and the participants in the stabilization force are very pleased with the progress that has been made in recent months in Bosnia. And the nations have made clear their intention to stay involved and to continue to support not only the military elements of the Peace Agreement but also civilian implementation. And so now there are some specific issues being discussed that have to do with what are the particular tasks and how might they best be handled. What types of units and so forth... And these are being discussed currently in the NATO Military Committee. So it wouldn't be proper for me to go into any more detail on these discussions or to offer a forecast at this point. Ultimately, it is a matter for the political leadership of each of the countries of NATO and the stabilization force to determine the size of the contribution they want to make to the follow-on force behind SFOR. GEN. NEKVASIL: I would like to add that we have not dealt with this issue with General Clark, and I think it is beyond the framework of our meeting today. NOVA: Can you just speculate.... GEN. NEKVASIL: Well, I think that even speculation is untimely. First, there are political decisions and then, it's our turn, the soldiers. Mr. Gazdik, please. GAZDIK: If you discussed the SFOR mission and its potential extension with the minister and now with General Nekvasil, can we conclude that NATO has an unambiguous interest in participation of the Czech contingent in the DFOR mission. And could you just indicate, if there is such an interest, what role the Czech unit might play? GEN. CLARK: Well, first of all, let me say that the follow-on force has not been designated by any particular name, so to call it "DFOR" is premature. Of course, I will tell you that we are very proud of the participation of the Czech battalion in IFOR [NATO-led Implementation Force] and in SFOR. But until the NATO decisions are made and until a troop-to-task analysis is performed by the military leaders in the field, we are not going to be able to conduct the force generation conference at Headquarters of Allied Command Europe. And that is the point at which we'll translate our great interest in Czech Republic's continuing participation into the specifics of the manner of that participation. GEN. NEKVASIL: I can only say that we have a mandate 'til June 30 within the framework of SFOR. Our parliament allocated funds for it. In any case, I would be a bad soldier if I did not anticipate what might happen. Therefore, I have issued orders for preparations of a rotation of troops in Bosnia. But we are still waiting for a request first and then a political decision here at home. Of course, I envisage that we will continue and will be glad if we are able to. QUESTION: So, is Brussels interested or not? GEN. NEKVASIL: I think that when the right moment comes, they will send a message in a standard way as always. GEN. CLARK: Well, of course, Brussels is interested in the participation of Czech Republic and the other contributors to SFOR. And in particular I want to commend the performance of the Czech battalion in this very difficult area of Prijedor. For some time Prijedor was a sort of a hotbed of resistance to the implementation of the Dayton Accords. And that has clearly changed in recent weeks. And I think a lot of the credit goes to the very effective presence on the ground of the Czech battalion. On my last visit to Banja Luka, I heard discussions of even the exchanges of refugees between Sanski Most and Prijedor. That is the kind of progress for tolerance, ethnic tolerance and compliance with the Dayton Accords that makes all of us feel good. And let's not lose sight of the fact that the military force there, in this case the battalion from the Czech Republic, has been underwriting the security in that region and making this movement and progress possible. MODERATOR: I am sorry, but due to the demanding schedule of General Clark, this was the last question. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your attention, and see you soon. (End second transcript)