Chicago Summit Declaration

Issued by the Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting of the

North Atlantic Council in Chicago on 20 May 2012

Press Release (2012) 062Issued on 20 May. 20121.We, the Heads of State and Government of the member countries of the North Atlantic Alliance, have gatheredin Chicago to renew our commitment to our vital transatlantic bond; take stock of progress in, and reconfirmour commitment to, our operations in Afghanistan, Kosovo and elsewhere; ensure the Alliance has thecapabilities it needs to deal with the full range of threats; and strengthen our wide range of partnerships.Our nations are united in their commitment to the Washington Treaty and to the purposes and principles of theCharter of the United Nations. Based on solidarity, Alliance cohesion and the indivisibility of our security, NATOremains the transatlantic framework for strong collective defence and the essential forum for securityconsultations and decisions among Allies. Our 2010 Strategic Concept continues to guide us in fulfillingeffectively, and always in accordance with international law, our three essential core tasks – collective defence,crisis management, and cooperative security – all of which contribute to safeguarding Alliance members.At a time of complex security challenges and financial difficulties, it is more important than ever to make thebest use of our resources and to continue to adapt our forces and structures. We remain committed to ourcommon values, and are determined to ensure NATO’s ability to meet any challenges to our shared security.We pay tribute to all the brave men and women from Allied and partner nations serving in NATO-led missionsand operations. We commend them for their professionalism and dedication and acknowledge the invaluablesupport provided to them by their families and loved ones. We owe a special debt of gratitude to all those whohave lost their lives or been injured during the course of their duties, and we extend our profound sympathy totheir families and loved ones.Today we have taken further important steps on the road to a stable and secure Afghanistan and to our goal ofpreventing Afghanistan from ever again becoming a safe haven for terrorists that threaten Afghanistan, theregion, and the world. The irreversible transition of full security responsibility from the International SecurityAssistance Force (ISAF) to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) is on track for completion by the end of2014, as agreed at our Lisbon Summit. We also recognise in this context the importance of a comprehensiveapproach and continued improvements in governance and development, as well as a political process involvingsuccessful reconciliation and reintegration. We welcome the announcement by President Karzai on the thirdtranche of provinces that will start transition. This third tranche means that 75% of Afghanistan’s populationwill live in areas where the ANSF have taken the lead for security. By mid-2013, when the fifth and finaltranche of provinces starts transition, we will have reached an important milestone in our Lisbon roadmap, andthe ANSF will be in the lead for security nationwide. At that milestone, as ISAF shifts from focusing primarily oncombat increasingly to the provision of training, advice and assistance to the ANSF, ISAF will be able to ensurethat the Afghans have the support they need as they adjust to their new increased responsibility. We aregradually and responsibly drawing down our forces to complete the ISAF mission by 31 December 2014.By the end of 2014, when the Afghan Authorities will have full security responsibility, the NATO-led combatmission will end. We will, however, continue to provide strong and long-term political and practical supportthrough our Enduring Partnership with Afghanistan. NATO is ready to work towards establishing, at the requestof the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, a new post-2014 mission of a different nature inAfghanistan, to train, advise and assist the ANSF, including the Afghan Special Operations Forces. This will notbe a combat mission. We task the Council to begin immediately work on the military planning process for thepost-ISAF mission.At the International Conference on Afghanistan held in Bonn in December 2011, the international communitymade a commitment to support Afghanistan in its Transformation Decade beyond 2014. NATO will play its partalongside other actors in building sufficient and sustainable Afghan forces capable of providing security for theirown country. In this context, Allies welcome contributions and reaffirm their strong commitment to contributeto the financial sustainment of the ANSF. We also call on the international community to commit to this long-term sustainment of the ANSF. Effective funding mechanisms and expenditure arrangements for all strands ofthe ANSF will build upon existing mechanisms, integrating the efforts of the Government of the Islamic Republic

of Afghanistan and of the international community. They will be guided by the principles of flexibility,transparency, accountability, and cost effectiveness, and will include measures against corruption.8.We reiterate the importance Allies attach to seeing tangible progress by the Government of the Islamic Republicof Afghanistan regarding its commitments made at the Bonn Conference on 5 December 2011 to a democraticsociety, based on the rule of law and good governance, including progress in the fight against corruption, wherethe human rights and fundamental freedoms of its citizens, including the equality of men and women and theactive participation of both in Afghan society, are respected. The forthcoming elections must be conducted withfull respect for Afghan sovereignty and in accordance with the Afghan Constitution. Their transparency,inclusivity and credibility will also be of paramount importance. Continued progress towards these goals willencourage NATO nations to further provide their support up to and beyond 2014.We also underscore the importance of our shared understanding with the Government of the Islamic Republic ofAfghanistan regarding the full participation of all Afghan women in the reconstruction, political, peace andreconciliation processes in Afghanistan and the need to respect the institutional arrangements protecting theirrights. We recognise also the need for the protection of children from the damaging effects of armed conflict.

10. We also recognise that security and stability in the “Heart of Asia” is interlinked across the region. The IstanbulProcess on regional security and cooperation, which was launched in November 2011, reflects the commitmentof Afghanistan and the countries in the region to jointly ensure security, stability and development in a regionalcontext. The countries in the region, particularly Pakistan, have important roles in ensuring enduring peace,stability and security in Afghanistan and in facilitating the completion of the transition process. We stand readyto continue dialogue and practical cooperation with relevant regional actors in this regard. We welcome theprogress on transit arrangements with our Central Asian partners and Russia. NATO continues to work withPakistan to reopen the ground lines of communication as soon as possible.11. We look forward to our expanded ISAF meeting tomorrow.12. The Alliance continues to be fully committed to the stability and security of the strategically important Balkansregion. We reiterate our full support for KFOR, which continues to act carefully, firmly and impartially inaccordance with its United Nations mandate set out in United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR)1244. KFOR will continue to support the development of a peaceful, stable, and multi-ethnic Kosovo. KFOR willalso continue to contribute to the maintenance of freedom of movement and ensuring a safe and secureenvironment for all people in Kosovo, in cooperation with all relevant actors, including the European Union Ruleof Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) and the EU Special Representative, as agreed, and the Kosovo authorities.We will maintain KFOR’s robust and credible capability to carry out its mission. We remain committed tomoving towards a smaller, more flexible, deterrent presence, only once the security situation allows. Wewelcome the progress made in developing the Kosovo Security Force, under NATO’s supervision and commendit for its readiness and capability to implement its security tasks and responsibilities. We will continue to lookfor opportunities to develop NATO’s ongoing role with the Kosovo Security Force.13. Last year, through the UN-mandated Operation Unified Protector (OUP), and with the support of the League ofArab States, our Alliance played a crucial role in protecting the civilian population in Libya and in helping savethousands of lives. We commend the Libyan people for the progress achieved to date on their path towardsbuilding a new, free, democratic Libya that fully respects human rights and fundamental freedoms, andencourage them to build on that progress.14. Our successful operation in Libya showed once more that the Alliance can quickly and effectively conductcomplex operations in support of the broader international community. We have also learned a number ofimportant lessons which we are incorporating into our plans and policies. With OUP, NATO set new standards ofconsultation and practical cooperation with partner countries who contributed to our operation, as well as withother international and regional organisations. In this context, we recognise the value of the Libya ContactGroup.15. The Alliance is also contributing to peace and security through other operations and missions:1.We welcome the extension of the mandate of our counter-piracy operation off the Horn of Africa,Operation Ocean Shield, for a further two years through to 2014. The decision to carry out enhancedactions at sea should allow us to be more effective in eroding the operational reach of pirates at sea. Weremain committed to supporting international counter-piracy efforts, including through working togetherwith the EU Operation Atalanta, as agreed, Combined Task Force 151 and other naval forces, and throughour ongoing participation in the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia. We encourage theshipping industry to adopt Best Management Practices and other measures proven effective against piracy,in compliance with international law.Operation Active Endeavour is our Article 5 maritime operation in the Mediterranean which contributes tothe fight against terrorism. We are reviewing strategic options for the future of this operation.

Widespread sexual and gender-based violence in conflict situations, the lack of effectiveinstitutional arrangements to protect women, and the continued under-representation of women in peaceprocesses, remain serious impediments to building sustainable peace. We remain committed to the fullimplementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Securityand related Resolutions which are aimed at protecting and promoting women’s rights, role, and participation inpreventing and ending conflict. In line with the NATO/Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) Policy, theAlliance, together with its partners, has made significant progress in implementing the goals articulated in theseResolutions. In this regard, we have today endorsed a Strategic Progress Report on mainstreaming UNSCR1325 and related Resolutions into NATO-led Operations and Missions, and welcomed Norway’s generous offer toprovide a NATO Special Representative for these important issues. In this context, and to further advance thiswork, we have tasked the Council to: continue implementing the Policy and the Action Plan; undertake a reviewof the practical implications of UNSCR 1325 for the conduct of NATO operations and missions; further integrategender perspectives into Alliance activities; and submit a report for our next Summit.We also remain committed to the implementation of UNSCR 1612 and related Resolutions on theprotection of children affected by armed conflict. We note with concern the growing range of threats to childrenin armed conflict and strongly condemn that they are increasingly subject to recruitment, sexual violence andtargeted attacks. NATO-led operations, such as ISAF in Afghanistan, are taking an active role in preventing,monitoring and responding to violations against children, including through pre-deployment training and aviolations alert mechanism. This approach, based on practical, field-oriented measures, demonstrates NATO’sfirm commitment on this issue, as does the recent appointment of a NATO Focal Point for Children and ArmedConflict in charge of maintaining a close dialogue with the UN. NATO-UN cooperation in this field is creating aset of good practices to be integrated in NATO training modules and taken into account in possible futureoperations.Our operational experiences have shown that military means, although essential, are not enoughon their own to meet the many complex challenges to our security. We reaffirm our Lisbon Summit decisionson a comprehensive approach. In order to fulfil these commitments, important work on NATO’s contribution toa comprehensive approach and on stabilisation and reconstruction is ongoing. An appropriate but modestcivilian crisis management capability has been established, both at the NATO Headquarters and within AlliedCommand Operations, in accordance with the principles and detailed political guidance we set out at ourSummit in Lisbon.We will continue to enhance our political dialogue and practical cooperation with the UN in linewith the UN-NATO Declaration of September 2008. We welcome the strengthened cooperation and enhancedliaison between NATO and the UN that has been achieved since our last Summit meeting in Lisbon in November2010, and which also contributed to the success of OUP.NATO and the EU share common values and strategic interests. The EU is a unique and essentialpartner for NATO. Fully strengthening this strategic partnership, as agreed by our two organisations andenshrined in the Strategic Concept, is particularly important in the current environment of austerity; NATO andthe EU should continue to work to enhance practical cooperation in operations, broaden political consultations,and cooperate more fully in capability development. NATO and the EU are working side by side in crisismanagement operations, in a spirit of mutual reinforcement, and in particular in Afghanistan, Kosovo andfighting piracy. NATO recognises the importance of a stronger and more capable European defence. NATO alsorecognises non-EU Allies’ ongoing concerns and their significant contributions to strengthening the EU’scapacities to address common security challenges. For the strategic partnership between NATO and the EU,non-EU Allies’ fullest involvement in these efforts is essential. In this context, NATO will work closely with theEU, as agreed, to ensure that our Smart Defence and the EU’s Pooling and Sharing initiatives arecomplementary and mutually reinforcing; we welcome the efforts of the EU, in particular in the areas of air-to-air refuelling, medical support, maritime surveillance and training. We also welcome the national efforts inthese and other areas by European Allies and Partners. We also encourage the Secretary General to continuehis dialogue with the EU High Representative with a view to making our cooperation more effective, and toreport to the Council in time for the next Summit.We continue to work closely with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe(OSCE), in particular in areas such as conflict prevention and resolution, post-conflict rehabilitation, and inaddressing new security threats. We are committed to further enhancing our cooperation, both at the politicaland operational level, in all areas of common interest.

NATO has a wide network of partnership relations. We highly value all of NATO’s partners andthe contributions they make to the work of the Alliance as illustrated through several partnership meetings weare holding here in Chicago. Partnerships play a crucial role in the promotion of international peace andsecurity. NATO’s partnerships are a key element of Cooperative Security which is one of the core tasks of theAlliance, and the Alliance has developed effective policies in order to enhance its partnerships. Through theEuro-Atlantic Partnership Council and the Partnership for Peace, we have pursued cooperation with our Euro-Atlantic partners to build a Europe whole, free and at peace. For twenty years, our partnerships havefacilitated, and provided frameworks for, political dialogue and practical regional cooperation in the fields ofsecurity and defence, contribute to advancing our common values, allow us to share expertise and experience,and make a significant contribution to the success of many of our operations and missions. NATO ForeignMinisters in Berlin in April 2011 approved a More Efficient and Flexible Partnership Policy to enhance theeffectiveness of NATO’s partnerships. We will continue to actively pursue its further implementation with a viewto strengthening NATO’s partnerships, including by: reinforcing the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, theMediterranean Dialogue, the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, and our relationships with partners across theglobe, while making full use of flexible formats; further developing our political and practical cooperation withpartners, including in an operational context; and through increasing partner involvement in training,education, and exercises, including with the NATO Response Force. We will intensify our efforts to betterengage with partners across the globe who can contribute significantly to security, and to reach out to partnersconcerned, including our newest partner Mongolia, to build trust, increase transparency, and develop politicaldialogue and practical cooperation. In this context, we welcome the Joint Political Declaration betweenAustralia and NATO.We appreciate our partners’ significant contributions to our practical cooperation activities and tothe different Trust Funds which support our partnership goals. We welcome the Status Report on BuildingIntegrity and the progress achieved by NATO’s Building Integrity Programme which has made importantcontributions to promoting transparency, accountability, and integrity in the defence sector of interestednations.We welcome our meeting in Chicago with thirteen partners1who have recently made particularpolitical, operational, and financial contributions to NATO-led operations. This is an example of the enhancedflexibility with which we are addressing partnership issues in a demand and substance-driven way. Ourmeeting in Chicago with partners provides us with a unique opportunity to discuss the lessons learned from ourcooperation, and to exchange views on the common security challenges we face. Joint training and exerciseswill be essential in maintaining our interoperability and interconnectedness with partner forces, including whenwe are not engaged together in active operations. We will share ideas generated at this Chicago meeting withall our partners, within the appropriate frameworks, for additional discussion.In accordance with Article 10 of the Washington Treaty, NATO’s door will remain open to allEuropean democracies which share the values of our Alliance, which are willing and able to assume theresponsibilities and obligations of membership, which are in a position to further the principles of the Treaty,and whose inclusion can contribute to security in the North Atlantic area. Based on these considerations, wewill keep the progress of each of the partners that aspire to join the Alliance under active review, judging eachon its own merits. We reaffirm our strong commitment to the Euro-Atlantic integration of the partners thataspire to join the Alliance in accordance with previous decisions taken at the Bucharest, Strasbourg-Kehl, andLisbon Summits. We welcome progress made by these four partners and encourage them to continue toimplement the necessary decisions and reforms to advance their Euro-Atlantic aspirations. For our part, we willcontinue to offer political and practical support to partners that aspire to join the Alliance. NATO’s enlargementhas contributed substantially to the security of Allies; the prospect of further enlargement and the spirit ofcooperative security continue to advance stability in Europe more broadly.We reiterate the agreement at our 2008 Bucharest Summit, as we did at subsequent Summits,to extend an invitation to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia2to join the Alliance as soon as a mutuallyacceptable solution to the name issue has been reached within the framework of the UN, and strongly urgeintensified efforts towards that end. An early solution, and subsequent membership, will contribute to securityand stability in the region. We encourage the negotiations to be pursued without further delay and expectthem to be concluded as soon as possible. We welcome, and continue to support, the ongoing reform efforts inthe former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and encourage continued implementation. We also encourage itsefforts to further build a multi-ethnic society. We appreciate the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’ssubstantial contributions to our operations, as well as its active role in regional cooperation activities. We valuethe former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’s long-standing commitment to the NATO accession process.We welcome the significant progress that Montenegro has made towards NATO membership andits contribution to security in the Western Balkans region and beyond, including through its active role inregional cooperation activities and its participation in ISAF. We also welcome the increasing public support forNATO membership in Montenegro, and will continue to assist this process. Montenegro’s active engagement inthe MAP process demonstrates firm commitment to join the Alliance. Montenegro has successfully implementedsignificant political, economic and defence reforms, and we encourage it to continue on that path so it can draweven closer to the Alliance. We will keep Montenegro’s progress towards membership under active review.

We continue to fully support the membership aspirations of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Wewelcome the significant progress that has been made in recent months, including the establishment of theBosnia and Herzegovina Council of Ministers, and the political agreement reached on 9 March 2012 on theregistration of immovable defence property as state property. These developments are a sign of the politicalwill in Bosnia and Herzegovina to move the reform process forward, and we encourage all political actors in thecountry to continue to work constructively to further implement the reforms necessary for its Euro-Atlanticintegration. The political agreement on defence and state properties is an important step towards fulfilment ofthe condition set by NATO Foreign Ministers in Tallinn in April 2010 for full participation in the MAP process. Wewelcome the initial steps taken regarding implementation, and we urge the political leaders in Bosnia andHerzegovina to further their efforts to work constructively to implement the agreement without delay in orderto start its first MAP cycle as soon as possible. The Alliance will continue to follow progress in implementationand will provide assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s reform efforts. We appreciate Bosnia and Herzegovina’scontribution to NATO-led operations and commend its constructive role in regional and international security.At the 2008 Bucharest Summit we agreed that Georgia will become a member of NATO and wereaffirm all elements of that decision, as well as subsequent decisions. The NATO-Georgia Commission andGeorgia’s Annual National Programme (ANP) have a central role in supervising the process set in hand at theBucharest Summit. We welcome Georgia’s progress since the Bucharest Summit to meet its Euro-Atlanticaspirations through its reforms, implementation of its Annual National Programme, and active politicalengagement with the Alliance in the NATO-Georgia Commission. In that context, we have agreed to enhanceGeorgia’s connectivity with the Alliance, including by further strengthening our political dialogue, practicalcooperation, and interoperability with Georgia. We continue to encourage and actively support Georgia'songoing implementation of all necessary reforms, including democratic, electoral, and judicial reforms, as wellas security and defence reforms. We stress the importance of conducting free, fair, and inclusive elections in2012 and 2013. We appreciate Georgia’s substantial contribution, in particular as the second largest non-NATOtroop contributing nation to ISAF, to Euro-Atlantic security.We reiterate our continued support to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia withinits internationally recognised borders. We welcome Georgia’s full compliance with the EU-mediated cease-fireagreement and other unilateral measures to build confidence. We welcome Georgia’s commitment not to useforce and call on Russia to reciprocate. We continue to call on Russia to reverse its recognition of the SouthOssetia and Abkhazia regions of Georgia as independent states. We encourage all participants in the Genevatalks to play a constructive role as well as to continue working closely with the OSCE, the UN, and the EU topursue peaceful conflict resolution in the internationally-recognised territory of Georgia.Here in Chicago, our Foreign Ministers are meeting with their counterparts from the formerYugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Georgia, in order to take stock oftheir individual progress, plan future cooperation, and exchange views with our partners, including on theirparticipation in partnership activities and contributions to operations. We are grateful to these partners thataspire to NATO membership for the important contributions they are making to NATO-led operations, and whichdemonstrate their commitment to our shared security goals.In the strategically important Western Balkans region, democratic values, regional cooperationand good neighbourly relations are important for lasting peace and stability. We are encouraged by theprogress being made, including in regional cooperation formats, and will continue to actively support Euro-Atlantic aspirations in this region. Together, Allies and partners of the region actively contribute to themaintenance of regional and international peace, including through regional cooperation formats.We continue to support Serbia’s Euro-Atlantic integration. We welcome Serbia’s progress inbuilding a stronger partnership with NATO and encourage Belgrade to continue on this path. NATO standsready to continue to deepen political dialogue and practical cooperation with Serbia. We will continue assistingSerbia’s reform efforts, and encourage further work.We call upon Serbia to support further efforts towards the consolidation of peace and stability inKosovo. We urge all parties concerned to cooperate fully with KFOR and EULEX in the execution of theirrespective mandates for which unconditional freedom of movement is necessary. We urge Belgrade andPristina to take full advantage of the opportunities offered to promote peace, security, and stability in theregion, in particular by the European Union-facilitated dialogue. We welcome progress made in the EuropeanUnion-facilitated Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, including the Agreement on Regional Cooperation and the IBMtechnical protocol. Dialogue between them and Euro-Atlantic integration of the region are key for a sustainedimprovement in security and stability in the Western Balkans. We call on both parties to implement fullyexisting agreements, and to move forward on all outstanding issues, including on the conclusion of additionalagreements on telecommunications and electricity. We welcome progress achieved and encourage furtherefforts aimed at consolidating the rule of law, and other reform efforts, in Kosovo.An independent, sovereign and stable Ukraine, firmly committed to democracy and the rule oflaw, is key to Euro-Atlantic security. Marking the fifteenth anniversary of the NATO-Ukraine Charter on aDistinctive Partnership, we welcome Ukraine’s commitment to enhancing political dialogue and interoperabilitywith NATO, as well as its contributions to NATO-led operations and new offers made. We note the recent

elimination of Ukraine’s highly enriched uranium in March 2012, which demonstrates a proven commitment tonon-proliferation. Recalling our decisions in relation to Ukraine and our Open Door policy stated at theBucharest and Lisbon Summits, NATO is ready to continue to develop its cooperation with Ukraine and assistwith the implementation of reforms in the framework of the NATO-Ukraine Commission and the Annual NationalProgramme (ANP). Noting the principles and commitments enshrined in the NATO-Ukraine Charter and theANP, we are concerned by the selective application of justice and what appear to be politically motivatedprosecutions, including of leading members of the opposition, and the conditions of their detention. Weencourage Ukraine to address the existing shortcomings of its judicial system to ensure full compliance with therule of law and the international agreements to which it is a party. We also encourage Ukraine to ensure free,fair and inclusive Parliamentary elections this autumn.NATO-Russia cooperation is of strategic importance as it contributes to creating a common spaceof peace, stability and security. We remain determined to build a lasting and inclusive peace, together withRussia, in the Euro-Atlantic area, based upon the goals, principles and commitments of the NATO-RussiaFounding Act and the Rome Declaration. We want to see a true strategic partnership between NATO andRussia, and we will act accordingly with the expectation of reciprocity from Russia.This year, we mark the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the NATO-Russia Council(NRC) and the fifteenth anniversary of the NATO-Russia Founding Act. We welcome important progress in ourcooperation with Russia over the years. At the same time, we differ on specific issues and there is a need toimprove trust, reciprocal transparency, and predictability in order to realise the full potential of the NRC. In thiscontext, we intend to raise with Russia in the NRC Allied concerns about Russia’s stated intentions regardingmilitary deployments close to Alliance borders. Mindful of the goals, principles and commitments whichunderpin the NRC, and on this firm basis, we urge Russia to meet its commitments with respect to Georgia, asmediated by the EU on 12 August and 8 September 20083. We continue to be concerned by the build-up ofRussia’s military presence on Georgia’s territory and continue to call on Russia to ensure free access forhumanitarian assistance and international observers.NATO and Russia share common security interests and face common challenges and ourpractical achievements together reflect that reality. Today, we continue to value the important role of the NRCas a forum for frank and honest political dialogue – including on subjects where we disagree – and forpromoting practical cooperation. Our cooperation with Russia on issues related to Afghanistan – notably thetwo-way transit arrangements offered by Russia in support of ISAF, our joint training of counter narcoticspersonnel from Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Pakistan, and the NRC Helicopter Maintenance Trust Fund insupport of a key ANSF need – is a sign of our common determination to build peace and stability in thatregion. NATO-Russia counter-terrorism cooperation has expanded and all NRC nations will benefit from thelessons to be learned from the first civil-military NRC Counter-Terrorism exercise, and the capabilities availableunder the NRC aviation counter-terrorism programme which is now operational. We also note with satisfactionour growing counter-piracy cooperation off the Horn of Africa. We are committed to, and look forward to,further improving trust and reciprocal transparency in: defence matters; strategy; doctrines; military postures,including of non-strategic nuclear weapons in Europe; military exercises; arms control and disarmament; andwe invite Russia to engage with the Alliance in discussing confidence-building measures covering these issues.At a time of unprecedented change in the Mediterranean and broader Middle East, NATO iscommitted to strengthening and developing partnership relations with countries in the region, with whom weface common security challenges and share the same goals for peace, security and stability. NATO supports theaspirations of the people of the region for democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law – values whichunderpin the Alliance.The Libya crisis illustrated the benefits of cooperation with partners from the region. It alsoshowed the merit of regular consultations between the Alliance and regional organisations, such as the GulfCooperation Council and the League of Arab States.NATO is ready to consult more regularly on security issues of common concern, through theMediterranean Dialogue (MD) and Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI), as well as bilateral consultations and28+n formats. We recall our commitment to the MD and the ICI and to the principles that underpin them; theMD and ICI remain two complementary and yet distinct partnership frameworks. We are also ready to considerproviding, upon request, support to our partners in the region in such areas as security institution building,defence modernisation, capacity development, and civil-military relations. Individualised programmes will allowus to focus on agreed priorities for each partner country.The MD helps to strengthen mutual understanding, political dialogue, practical cooperation and,as appropriate, interoperability. We welcome the Moroccan-led initiative to develop a new, political frameworkdocument for the MD, and look forward to developing it together soon with our MD partners. We encourage theMD partner countries to be proactive in exploiting the opportunities offered by their partnership with NATO.The MD remains open to other countries in the region.We welcome Libya’s stated interest to deepen relations with the Alliance. We are ready towelcome Libya as a partner, if it so wishes. In that perspective, the MD is a natural framework for this

partnership. We stand ready, if requested, and on a case-by-case basis, to consider providing assistance toLibya in areas where NATO can add value. NATO’s activities would focus primarily on security and defencesector reform, while taking into account other international efforts.We will strengthen political dialogue and practical cooperation in the ICI. We warmly welcomethe generous offer by the State of Kuwait to host an ICI Regional Centre, which will help us to betterunderstand common security challenges, and discuss how to address them together. We encourage our ICIpartner countries to be proactive in exploiting the opportunities offered by their partnership with NATO. Weremain open to receiving new members in the ICI.We are following the evolution of the Syrian crisis with growing concern and we strongly supportthe efforts of the United Nations and the League of Arab States, including full implementation of the six-pointAnnan plan, to find a peaceful solution to the crisis.We welcome progress being made in Iraq. The NATO Transition Cell now established in Iraq ishelping to develop our partnership.With our vision of a Euro-Atlantic area at peace, the persistence of protracted regional conflictsin South Caucasus and the Republic of Moldova continues to be a matter of great concern for the Alliance. Wewelcome the constructive approach in the renewed dialogue on Transnistria in the 5+2 format, and encouragefurther efforts by all actors involved. With respect to all these conflicts, we urge all parties to engageconstructively and with reinforced political will in peaceful conflict resolution, and to respect the currentnegotiation formats. We call on them all to avoid steps that undermine regional security and stability. Weremain committed in our support of the territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty of Armenia,Azerbaijan, Georgia, and the Republic of Moldova, and will also continue to support efforts towards a peacefulsettlement of these regional conflicts, based upon these principles and the norms of international law, theUnited Nations Charter, and the Helsinki Final Act.The Black Sea region continues to be important for Euro-Atlantic security. We welcome theprogress in consolidating regional cooperation and ownership, through effective use of existing initiatives andmechanisms, in the spirit of transparency, complementarity and inclusiveness. We will continue to support, asappropriate, efforts based on regional priorities and dialogue and cooperation among the Black Sea states andwith the Alliance.Cyber attacks continue to increase significantly in number and evolve in sophistication andcomplexity. We reaffirm the cyber defence commitments made at the Lisbon Summit. Following Lisbon, lastyear we adopted a Cyber Defence Concept, Policy, and Action Plan, which are now being implemented. Buildingon NATO’s existing capabilities, the critical elements of the NATO Computer Incident Response Capability(NCIRC) Full Operational Capability (FOC), including protection of most sites and users, will be in place by theend of 2012. We have committed to provide the resources and complete the necessary reforms to bring allNATO bodies under centralised cyber protection, to ensure that enhanced cyber defence capabilities protect ourcollective investment in NATO. We will further integrate cyber defence measures into Alliance structures andprocedures and, as individual nations, we remain committed to identifying and delivering national cyber defencecapabilities that strengthen Alliance collaboration and interoperability, including through NATO defence planningprocesses. We will develop further our ability to prevent, detect, defend against, and recover from cyberattacks. To address the cyber security threats and to improve our common security, we are committed toengage with relevant partner nations on a case-by-case basis and with international organisations, inter alia theEU, as agreed, the Council of Europe, the UN and the OSCE, in order to increase concrete cooperation. We willalso take full advantage of the expertise offered by the Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence inEstonia.We continue to be deeply concerned about the proliferation of nuclear weapons and otherweapons of mass destruction (WMD), as well as their means of delivery. Proliferation threatens our sharedvision of creating the conditions necessary for a world without nuclear weapons in accordance with the goals ofthe Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). We share the United Nations Security Council’s serious concernwith Iran’s nuclear programme and call upon Iran to fully comply with all its international obligations, includingall relevant Resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and the International Atomic Energy AgencyBoard of Governors. We further call upon Iran to cooperate with the international community to buildconfidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear programme in compliance with its NPT obligations.We support the immediate resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue through diplomatic means and encourage asustained process of engagement within the format of the P5+1 and Iran talks. We are deeply concerned bythe proliferation activities of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and call on it to comply fullywith all relevant UNSCRs and international obligations, especially by abandoning all activities related to itsexisting nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.We strongly condemn the launch by the DPRK on 13 April 2012 using ballistic missile technology. We call foruniversal adherence to, and compliance with, the NPT and the Additional Protocol to the International AtomicEnergy Agency Safeguard Agreement, and call for full implementation of UNSCR 1540 and welcome furtherwork under UNSCR 1977. We also call on all states to strengthen the security of nuclear materials within theirborders, as called for at the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit. We will continue to implement NATO’s

Strategic-Level Policy for Preventing the Proliferation of WMD and Defending Against Chemical, Biological,Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Threats. We will ensure NATO has the appropriate capabilities, including forplanning efforts, training and exercises, to address and respond to CBRN attacks.Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations can never be tolerated or justified. We deplore allloss of life from acts of terrorism and extend our sympathies to the victims. We reaffirm our commitment tofight terrorism with unwavering resolve in accordance with international law and the principles of the UNCharter. Today we have endorsed NATO’s Policy Guidelines on Counter-Terrorism, and task the Council toprepare an Action Plan to further enhance NATO’s ability to prevent, deter, and respond to terrorism byidentifying initiatives to enhance our threat awareness, capabilities, and engagement.A stable and reliable energy supply, diversification of routes, suppliers and energy resources,and the interconnectivity of energy networks, remain of critical importance. While these issues are primarilythe responsibility of national governments and other international organisations concerned, NATO closelyfollows relevant developments in energy security. Today, we have noted a progress report which outlines theconcrete steps taken since our last Summit and describes the way forward to integrate, as appropriate, energysecurity considerations in NATO’s policies and activities. We will continue to consult on energy security andfurther develop the capacity to contribute to energy security, concentrating on areas where NATO can addvalue. To this end, we will work towards significantly improving the energy efficiency of our military forces;develop our competence in supporting the protection of critical energy infrastructure; and further develop ouroutreach activities in consultation with partners, on a case-by-case basis. We welcome the offer to establish aNATO-accredited Energy Security Centre of Excellence in Lithuania as a contribution to NATO’s efforts in thisarea. We task the Council to continue to refine NATO’s role in energy security in accordance with the principlesand the guidelines agreed at the Bucharest Summit and the direction provided by the new Strategic Concept aswell as the Lisbon decisions. We task the Council to produce a further progress report for our next Summit.Key environmental and resource constraints, including health risks, climate change, waterscarcity and increasing energy needs will further shape the future security environment in areas of concern toNATO and have the potential to significantly affect NATO planning and operations.In Lisbon, we called for a review of NATO's overall posture in deterring and defending againstthe full range of threats to the Alliance, taking into account the changes in the evolving international securityenvironment. We have today approved, and made public, the results of our Deterrence and Defence PostureReview. NATO is committed to maintaining an appropriate mix of nuclear, conventional and missile defencecapabilities for deterrence and defence to fulfil its commitments as set out in the Strategic Concept. Consistentwith the Strategic Concept and their commitments under existing arms control treaties and frameworks, Allieswill continue to support arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation efforts.We will ensure that the Alliance continues to have the capabilities needed to perform theessential core tasks to which we committed ourselves in the Strategic Concept. To that end, we have agreed aseparate Chicago Defence Declaration and endorsed the Defence Package for the Chicago Summit, outlining avision and a clear way forward towards our goal of NATO Forces 2020.We welcome the recent Council decision to continue the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Balticstates, and appreciate the recent commitment by the Baltic states to enhance their host nation support to theparticipating Allies. Allies remain committed to contributing to this mission, which is also an example of SmartDefence in practice. This peacetime mission and other Alliance air policing arrangements demonstrate theAlliance’s continued and visible commitment to collective defence and solidarity.The Alliance’s recent operational experiences also show that the ability of NATO forces to acttogether seamlessly and rapidly is critical to success. We will, therefore, ensure that the Alliance’s forcesremain well connected through expanded education, training and exercises. In line with the Alliance’scommitment to transparency, and in the expectation of reciprocity, these activities are open for partnerparticipation and observation on a case-by-case basis. In this context, we attach particular importance to nextyear’s “Steadfast Jazz” exercise for the NATO Response Force which, along with other exercises, will contributeto the ability of NATO forces to operate together anywhere on Alliance territory and in wider crisis managementoperations.We continue to be concerned by the increasing threats to our Alliance posed by the proliferationof ballistic missiles. At our Summit in Lisbon we decided to develop a NATO Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD)capability to pursue our core task of collective defence. The aim of this capability is to provide full coverageand protection for all NATO European populations, territory and forces against the increasing threats posed bythe proliferation of ballistic missiles, based on the principles of indivisibility of Allied security and NATOsolidarity, equitable sharing of risks and burdens, as well as reasonable challenge, taking into account the levelof threat, affordability and technical feasibility and in accordance with the latest common threat assessmentsagreed by the Alliance. Should international efforts reduce the threats posed by ballistic missile proliferation,NATO missile defence can, and will, adapt accordingly.

Missile defence can complement the role of nuclear weapons in deterrence; it cannot substitutefor them. This capability is purely defensive.We are pleased today to declare that the Alliance has achieved an Interim NATO BMD Capability.It will provide with immediate effect an operationally significant first step, consistent with our Lisbon decision,offering the maximum coverage within available means, to defend our populations, territory and forces acrosssouthern NATO Europe against a ballistic missile attack. Our aim remains to provide the Alliance with a NATOoperational BMD that can provide full coverage and protection for all NATO European populations, territory andforces, based on voluntary national contributions, including nationally funded interceptors and sensors, hostingarrangements, and on the expansion of the Active Layered Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence (ALTBMD)capability. Only the command and control systems of ALTBMD and their expansion to territorial defence areeligible for common funding. Within the context of the NATO BMD capability, Turkey hosts a forward-basedearly-warning radar. We note the potential opportunities for cooperation on missile defence, and encourageAllies to explore possible additional voluntary contributions, including through multinational cooperation, toprovide relevant capabilities, as well as to use potential synergies in planning, development, procurement, anddeployment.As with all of NATO’s operations, full political control by Allies over military actions undertakenpursuant to this Interim Capability will be ensured. Given the short flight times of ballistic missiles, the Councilagrees the pre-arranged command and control rules and procedures including to take into account theconsequences of intercept compatible with coverage and protection requirements. We have tasked the Councilto regularly review the implementation of the NATO BMD capability, including before the Foreign and DefenceMinisters’ meetings, and prepare a comprehensive report on progress and issues to be addressed for its futuredevelopment, for us by our next Summit.The Alliance remains prepared to engage with third states, on a case by case basis, to enhancetransparency and confidence and to increase ballistic missile defence effectiveness. Given our shared securityinterests with Russia, we remain committed to cooperation on missile defence in the spirit of mutual trust andreciprocity, such as the recent NRC Theatre Missile Defence Exercise. Through ongoing efforts in the NATO-Russia Council, we seek to determine how independent NATO and Russian missile defence systems can worktogether to enhance European security. We look forward to establishing the proposed joint NATO-Russia MissileData Fusion Centre and the joint Planning Operations Centre to cooperate on missile defence. We propose todevelop a transparency regime based upon a regular exchange of information about the current respectivemissile defence capabilities of NATO and Russia. Such concrete missile defence cooperation is the best means toprovide Russia with the assurances it seeks regarding NATO’s missile defence plans and capabilities. In thisregard, we today reaffirm that the NATO missile defence in Europe will not undermine strategic stability. NATOmissile defence is not directed against Russia and will not undermine Russia’s strategic deterrence capabilities.NATO missile defence is intended to defend against potential threats emanating from outside the Euro-Atlanticarea. While regretting recurrent Russian statements on possible measures directed against NATO’s missiledefence system, we welcome Russia's willingness to continue dialogue with the purpose of finding anagreement on the future framework for missile defence cooperation.We remain committed to conventional arms control. NATO CFE Allies recall that the decisionstaken in November 2011 to cease implementing certain CFE obligations with regard to the Russian Federationare reversible, should the Russian Federation return to full implementation. NATO CFE Allies continue toimplement fully their CFE obligations with respect to all other CFE States Parties. Allies are determined topreserve, strengthen and modernise the conventional arms control regime in Europe, based on key principlesand commitments, and continue to explore ideas to this end.At our Summit in Lisbon, we agreed on an ambitious reform programme. This package ofreforms remains essential for guaranteeing the Alliance is responsive and effective in carrying out the ambitioustasks envisioned in our Strategic Concept, the Lisbon Declaration, as well as the Declaration on DefenceCapabilities we have adopted today. To this end:0. NATO Command Structure. We are implementing a leaner, more effective and affordable NATO CommandStructure with its first phase and its package elements being effective during 2012. The number ofsubordinate headquarters, as well as the peacetime staffing and establishment, are being significantlyreduced and implementation will be complete by 2015.1. NATO Headquarters. We have rationalised a number of services between the International Staff (IS) andthe International Military Staff (IMS). The move to the new headquarters in 2016 provides a uniqueopportunity to achieve more efficient and effective support to the work of the Alliance. We welcome theongoing review of the IS, and the forthcoming review of the IMS; we look forward to the continuation ofthese reforms in line with those being carried out by nations. An important part of this comprehensivereform will be a review of our priorities and IS and IMS spending to identify activities that are no longerneeded, improve efficiency, and achieve savings. This review will take place with the appropriateinvolvement of the Military Committee.2. NATO Agencies. The consolidation and rationalization of the existing NATO Agencies’ functions andservices is underway with new NATO Agencies for Support, Communication & Information, andProcurement, to be stood up on 1 July 2012. The new Agencies’ executives will work to optimise savingsand improvements in effectiveness as the new entities mature over the next two years.