A state located in the heart of Europe must be vitally concerned with stability, conflict prevention and conflict management, as well as with peacemaking capabilities. These aspects will no doubt figure largely in the new strategic concept which the Alliance is preparing for the April 1999 summit in Washington. The Czech Republic has already demonstrated its support for this role of the Alliance by contributing an effective unit to IFOR and SFOR in Bosnia and it is determined to continue this policy. The defensive and cooperative character of the Atlantic Alliance is firmly rooted in the democratic principles professed by its members. Sometimes it seems that Russian reactions to NATO enlargement tend to overlook this reality.
Enlargement threatens no one.
There must be a Russian role in the formation of a European security architecture, and the Czech Republic has repeatedly stated its unequivocal support for the cooperative arrangements which NATO has negotiated with the Russian Federation and Ukraine. The dialogue between the Czech Republic and the Alliance is moving ahead satisfactorily. Considerable progress has been made in preparing the necessary legislation and other domestic measures to achieve a reasonabale degree of compatibility with NATO usage and requirements. The Czech Parliament has passed a Constitutional Law on National Security, thus creating a basis for subsequent legislation. Article Three of the Washington Treaty obliges all members of the Alliance to make an effective contribution to NATO's ability to resist an armed attack and to maintain their individual defence assets.