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The Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association has the honour to present its report respecting its participation in the Spring Session 2011 of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, held in Varna, Bulgaria 27-30 May. Canada was represented by Senator Raynell Andreychuk, Senator Jane Cordy, Senator Joseph A. Day, Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, Mr. James Latimer, Executive Secretary and Mr. Wolgang Koerner, Analyst. The spring session was opened by the President of the Assembly Dr. Karl A. Lamers (Germany). Dr. Lamers noted that the major themes before the Alliance were “...collective defence, operations in Afghanistan, cyber-security, relations with Russia, the High North, the implementation of NATO’s new Strategic Concept, human rights, and communications.” The President also addressed the major events of the Arab Spring. He hoped that, while the outcome of the events could not be predicted, “...that some new regimes will emerge which are committed to democracy, individual liberty, and human rights.” Lamers also went on to argue that it was the duty of the Assembly to help promote positive changes if so asked. He concluded by saying that “we know from our own recent history that we can assist nations in making the transition from authoritarian rule to parliamentary democracy. After the opening remarks of Dr. Lamers, the assembly was addressed by Her Excellency Tsetksa Tsacheva, Speaker of the Bulgarian Parliament. After welcoming delegates, the Speaker noted that Bulgaria’s participation in NATO rests on several strong pillars including, “...the need to further strengthen the Organization and its political and military capabilities, the fundamental role of the Euro-Atlantic link, Bulgaria’s drive toward a continual enhancement of security through the implementation of a coherent and consistent regional policy, and its firm resolve to strengthen the capabilities of the Bulgarian Army so as to ensure it remains a useful and competent player on the global security scene.” Ms. Tsetska also spoke of the problems and challenges presented by the economic crisis. In this vein she also noted that, despite economic exigencies, the security of member countries still needs to be assured. She concluded by suggesting that it was everyone’s duty to “...explore every possibility for smarter management of the security sector whilst pursuing this endeavour with greater cost efficiency.” Delegates also heard from Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Secretary General of NATO. In his speech, the Secretary General noted “...that NATO will remain an effective alliance as long as member nations maintain their firm commitments – politically, financially, and through their capacities and that parliamentarian have a unique responsibility in this regard.” He also noted, inter alia, that the arrest of the indicted former Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic offered “...a chance for justice to be done and for the entire Balkan region to move closer to Euro-Atlantic integration.” The Assembly also adopted the Draft Report of the Treasurer, Senator Pierre Claude Nolin (Canada). The meeting of the Defence and Security Committee was opened by the Chair, Senator Joseph Day (Canada). During its deliberations, the Committee first heard from Mr. Anyu Angelov, the Bulgarian Minister of Defence. Mr. Angelov gave an overview of the reforms undertaken in Bulgaria’s defence sector. These ongoing reforms were based on a new White Paper on Defence and the Armed Forces and the 2011 National Security Strategy of the Republic of Bulgaria. In his remarks he also stressed the ongoing role of Parliamentary oversight throughout the reform process. The Minister also informed delegates that Bulgaria was committed to the policy of Smart Defence as outlined in NATO’s New Strategic Concept. He was also supportive of the continuing reform of NATO’s agencies and command structures. The Committee then heard from General Simeon Simeonov, Chief of Defence, Bulgaria, on Bulgarian defence reform. Having outlined the substance and progress of the various reforms, General Simeonov then informed delegates that the Bulgarian Armed Forces were to be cut by 7,000 personnel from its current strength of 44,000. The Committee also received a briefing from John Koenig, Political Advisor to the Commander, Allied Joint Force Command, Naples, on Operation Unified Protector. Finally, the Committee was given a briefing by Dr. William Potter, Director of the James Martin Center for Non-Proliferation Studies and Sam Nunn and Richard Lugar Professor of Non-Proliferation Studies, Monterey Institute of International Studies, on Next steps in US-Russia Arms Control. In his talk, Dr. Potter “...outlined key aspects of the future U.S.-Russian relations. These aspects included the issue of: the rhetoric and reality of non-strategic nuclear weapons; the potential for new, meaningful, confidence building measures; the continuing divergence of nuclear threat perceptions within and between NATO and non-NATO members; and the impact of NATO’s evolving nuclear prospects for further U.S. and Russian reductions.” In concluding his presentation he put forward several suggestions for arms reductions. First, he suggested that discussions “...need to be informed of the congruence and divergence of threat perceptions and may be facilitated by NGO’s and the NATO-Russia Council.” Second, he also noted that a broad framework “...for discussing a wider package of agreements on non-deployed nuclear warheads, advanced, long-range conventional arms, missile defence, third-party nuclear forces and non-strategic nuclear weapons.” Third, he concluded that “...confidence building measures need to be increased, especially around the issues of data exchange, de-alerting, warhead storage security and the reduced operational status of weapons.” Following the presentations delegates turned their attention to the consideration of the Committee’s various draft reports. These included: · Draft Report of the Sub-Committee on Transatlantic Defence and Security Cooperation, NATO Operations under a new Strategic Concept and the EU as an Operational Partner, by Nicole Ameline (France), Rapporteur. · Draft General Report Transition in Afghanistan: Assessing the Security Effort, by Sven Miksar, (Estonia) General Rapporteur. · Draft Report of the Sub-Committee on Future Security and Defence Capabilities, Missile Defence: The Way Ahead for NATO, by Raymond Knops, (Netherlands), Rapporteur. Proceedings of the Political Committee were opened by the Chair Senator Raynell Andreychuk (Canada). The Committee then heard from Mr. Nickolay E. Mladenov, Foreign minister of Bulgaria, on NATO’s New Strategic Concept, New Partnerships, and New Challenges: The View from Bulgaria. In his remarks Mr. Mladenov stressed the importance of the Lisbon summit and the need to implement the decisions made by the Heads of State and Government. He noted that the Strategic concept “...laid out a vision which not only identified new challenges, such as cyber threats and energy security, but also presented the tools for addressing them.” He also explained that the Strategic Concept contained three key policy areas of particular importance for Bulgaria, namely a reference to the Western Balkans, energy security, and the continuation of NATO’s open door policy. With respect to the Western Balkans the Minister suggested that “that area won’t be complete until all the states of the region joined the Alliance. The Committee was also addressed by Professor Bichara Khader, Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium, on Coming out of The Dark: Arab Democratic Revolutions, What the West Can Do. Professor Khader explained “...these revolts were carried out by a liberal-minded youth that was seeking economic opportunities – something they had not enjoyed, given the nature and corruption of many regimes, which made long term economic growth impossible.” He also provided a detailed overview of the demographics and levels of education in the region, whose population had quadrupled in the past 55 years. At the forefront of the protests, he argued, “...stood highly-educated young women who were urbanized and who refused to return to the domestic lifestyle demanded by some theocrats.” Following Professor Khader, delegates heard from Dr. Christian Wagner, Head, Asia Research Division, German Institute for International and Security Affairs, on Recent Developments in Pakistan and Their Impact on Afghanistan. Dr. Wagner spoke about recent developments in Pakistan and their impact on Afghanistan. He explained that Pakistan’s interests in Pakistan were three layered. First, “ to counter India’s influence and encirclement in the region: second to counter Afghanistan’s territorial claims, specifically regarding the Durand Line; and third, to counter Iran’s support for Shia groups.” Once the presentations were complete the Committee went on to consider its various draft reports. These included: · Draft General Report on The Rise of China and Possible Implications for NATO, by Assen Agov (Bulgaria), General Rapporteur · Draft report of the Sub-Committee on NATO Partnerships, on Belarus: A Difficult Partner, by Daniel Bacquelaine (Belgium), Rapporteur · Draft Report of the Sub-Committee on Afghanistan, on The Regional Context, by John Dyrby Paulsen (Denmark), Rapporteur. The proceedings of the Science and Technology Committee were opened by the Chair Jan Arild Ellingsen (Norway). The Committee was then addressed by Mr. Traycho Traykov, Bulgarian Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism, on A Bulgarian Perspective on Energy Security. The Minister told delegates that Bulgaria “...had to maintain a robust energy supply strategy. Given recent events such as the cut-off of energy supplies due to diplomatic tensions between Russia and Ukraine in 2009, Bulgaria was, in particular, exploring new distribution routes and aiming to maximize the use of domestic sources of energy.” He also noted that Bulgaria hoped to have sixteen percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. The Committee next heard from Professor Joachim von Braun, Director of the Center for Development Research and Professor for Economics and Technological Change, University of Bonn, on Food Insecurity and Security: Required Short and Long-Term Actions. Professor von Braun provided the Committee with an overview of food security problems and argued that “...spending on agricultural research and development...was among the most effective investment strategies for promoting economic growth and reducing poverty.” He also suggested that subsidies be stopped for bio-fuel production until food price stability could be assured. The Committee also heard from Mr. William C. Ramsay, Director of Energy program, Institut français des relations internationales, on Nuclear Electricity after Fukushima. Mr. Ramsay spoke on the events of the Japanese nuclear meltdown, analysing the accident itself, the energy implications for Japan, as well as the world wide public and political reaction regarding nuclear energy. After the presentations the Committee dealt with its various draft reports. These included: · The Draft Special Report on Countering the Afghan Insurgency: Low-Tech Threats, High-Tech Solutions, by Senator Pierre Claude Nolin, (Canada) Special Rapporteur. · The Draft Report of the Sub-Committee on Energy and Environmental Security on Food and Water Security: Implications for the Euro-Atlantic Security, by Philippe Vitel (France), Rapporteur. · The Draft General Report on Countering Biological and Chemical Threats: The Way Forward, by David Scott (United States), General Rapporteur. The meeting of the Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security was opened by the Chair Jo Ann Emerson (United States). The Committee then heard from Mr. Kenneth Geers, US Representative NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. His topic was, From Cambridge to Lisbon: the Quest for Strategic Cyber Defense. In his presentation, “Mr. Geers focused on the relationship between connectivity and security. He argued that because compromising any computer is becoming increasingly easier, the issue of cyber security has gained on its prominence.” Mr. Gees also went on to note that the combination of cyber and conventional warfare has been around for at least 20 years, going back to the first Gulf War. According to him, it is difficult to predict what the future will hold in terms of threats, but, “...Article 5 is based on an outdated understanding of warfare.” The next speaker was Dr. Antoniy Galabov, Head of Political Sciences Department, New Bulgarian University, who spoke on The Regional Development and Challenges in the Balkans. Dr. Galabov told delegates that economically and politically the Balkans does not function as one region. This is due to the fact that “...by only having relations with NATO and EU and not among themselves, the Balkan countries have created parallel avenues, which prevent them from cooperating. In addition, Galabov noted, there are a variety of other issues that need to be addressed, including transportation and economic infrastructure, corruption and organized crime. He also suggested that it will be interesting to see how the people of the region respond to the Arab Spring, particularly given the fact that it has a large and relatively young Muslim population that is well connected through social media. Delegates also heard from Dr. Bichara Khadar, Director of the Arab Study and Research Centre, DVLP and Professor at the Faculty of Political, Economic and Social Sciences, UCL, Belgium. His topic was Youth, Education, and the Role of Social Media in the Arab Democratic Upheaval. Dr. Khadar identified three factors that were largely responsible for the timing of the Arab Spring. First, there were demographic factors. The Arab population has doubled twice in 40 years with 50% of Arabs currently less than 25 years of age, while the official regimes have been in power for decades. Second, there are economic realities. Arab youth is highly skilled and educated but has trouble finding adequate employment. This has led to social frustration and in some cases illegal immigration. Third, there is the increasing influence of social media and new networks like Al Jazeera which broadcast in Arabic and give people a sense of Arab unity. The Committee then moved on to the consideration of its various reports. These included: · Draft General Report on Information and National Security, by Lord Jopling (United Kingdom), Rapporteur. · Draft Special Report on Governance Challenges in Afghanistan: An Update, by Vitalino Canas (Portugal), Special Rapporteur. The report itself was presented by Marc Angel (Luxembourg), Vice-Chairman of the Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security. · Draft General Report of the Sub-Committee on Democratic Governance on Post-Orange Ukraine: Internal Dynamics and Foreign Policy Priorities, by Luciano Malan (Italy) Rapporteur. The meeting of the Economic and Security Committee was opened by the Chair Hugh Bayley. The Committee first heard from Professor Bichara Khadar, who had also addressed the Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security. His topic was The Social and Economic Origins of the Uprisings in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) Region. Professor Khadar argued that the MENA region constitutes “...the crossroads of Europe, Africa and Asia, and that events there have an immediate impact on the stability of the international system.” The region is important as both a transit route for goods going to Europe and a market for European goods. He noted that, over the past 50 years, “...the region’s regimes have tended to be highly corrupt and the political elite has essentially controlled natural resource exploitation and used the revenues to bolster its own wealth.” The educated, urbanised youth are jobless and new democracies will not be well positioned to generate jobs rapidly. The region’s economy is stumbling and it is important that Europe not turn its back on the region. The Committee also heard from Avgustina Tzvetkova, Deputy Minister of Defence, Bulgaria, who spoke on Building Integrity in NATO Defence Initiatives and Its Economic Implications. In her presentation the Minister stressed the fact that national parliaments have an important role to play in combating corruption in the defence sector. The three essential components to reform are “...political will, a clear strategy for introducing practical measures, and objective external evaluation as a corrective when necessary.” She also noted that the Bulgarian Parliament had established a committee on ant-corruption, thereby sending a strong message that corruption would no longer be tolerated. Following the presentations the Committee considered its various draft reports. These included: · Draft Report of the Sub-Committee on East-West Economic Cooperation and Convergence on The Balkan Economies: Regional Roadblocks, European Distractions and Global Crisis, by John Sewel (United Kingdom), Rapporteur. Draft Report of the Sub-Committee on Transatlantic Economic Relations on Finding Workable Solutions in Afghanistan: The Work of the International Community in Building a Functioning Economy and Society, by Jeppe Kofod (Denmark), Rapporteur.
Respectfully submitted,
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