An important aim of NATO's transformation has been to strengthen security and stability by building confidence and understanding with its former adversaries through dialogue and cooperation. An early step in this direction was the establishment of the North Atlantic Cooperation Council in 1991. In 1994 NATO introduced the Partnership for Peace. This is a major programme designed to assist participating countries to restructure their armed forces to enable them to play their proper role in a democratic society. Tailored to the individual needs of each country, it offers opportunities for practical cooperation in many different fields, allowing participants to choose as much or as little from the programme as their security needs require.
Activities range from military exercises and workshops to seminars and training courses.
Particular emphasis is placed on making military forces more transparent and accountable to the electorate. In 1997, NATO and Russia and NATO and Ukraine also placed their bilateral cooperation on a more formal basis. Topics discussed at these meetings range from peacekeeping in the Balkans, crisis management and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, to defence conversion, environmental protection and civil emergency planning. Both countries along with other partner countries have participated in NATO peacekeeping efforts in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1999, due to sharp differences over NATO s decision to act militarily in order to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Kosovo, the Russian Federation suspended its participation in the NATO-Russia Permanent Joint Council.