As a NATO neighbor Belarus attaches special importance to the development of mutually beneficial, stable and solid relationship with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. We recognize the prominent role NATO plays today in the Euro-Atlantic area. One of Belarus' foreign policy priorities is strengthening full-scale cooperation with NATO and its individual member states.

Strengthening cooperative security in the Euro-Atlantic area is of paramount importance for the Republic of Belarus situated at the sensitive European crossroads. Belarus has always been pursuing responsible and consistent policy to contribute to this goal.

Belarus attaches special significance to the implementation of the “Partnership for Peace” (PfP) program that is considered to be one of the most important mechanisms for practical cooperation both with the North Atlantic Alliance and individual countries of Europe and North America. Belarus submitted its Presentation Document for participation in PfP on 29th April 1996.

On 20 February 2002 the North Atlantic Council approved the Belarus Individual Partnership Program (IPP) for 2002–2003. From the Belarusian side there are 5 principal participants in the IPP implementation: Ministry of Defence, Ministry for Emergency Situations, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, State Committee of Border Guards and National Academy of Sciences.

Compared with the previous IPP 2000–2001 Belarus has increased a number of areas of cooperation by 5. Now we have 19 areas we would like to cooperate in with both NATO member-countries and partner-states. In the Individual Partnership Program between the Republic of Belarus and NATO for 2002–2003 P1 level of priority (priority number one) is given to the following fields: “Civil Emergency Planning”, “Crisis Management”, “Language Training”, “Military Education, Training and Doctrine”, “Democratic Control of Forces and Defence Structures”, “Conceptual Planning and Operational Aspects of Peacekeeping”, “Small Arms and Light Weapons”.

The new areas of cooperation are as follows: “Planning, Organization and Management of National Defence Research and Technology”, “Military Geography”, “Global Humanitarian Mine Action”, “Political and Defence Efforts against NBC Proliferation”, “Small Arms and Light Weapons”.

Belarus actively participates in the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) activities. We see the EAPC as an important mechanism for political consultations on major issues of conflict prevention, peace-building and cooperative security.

Belarus also participates in the activities within the framework of the NATO Science Programme. Since 1993 over 75 Science Fellowships have been awarded to Belarus scientists to study for a period in NATO countries. Over 30 research teams from Belarus have received support for collaboration under the NATO Science Programme in the three-years 1999–2001. In the fall year 2000 Mr. Yves Sillard, then NATO Assistant Secretary General for Scientific and Environmental Affairs, visited Belarus at the invitation of the President of the National Academy of Sciences and gave the presentation at an international conference in Minsk on “Science and Education on the Threshold of the 3rd Millenium”.