UK: NATO 50TH ANNIVERSARY/3 DAY CONFERENCE OVER NEW MEMBERS

(8 Mar 1999) English/Nat The NATO military alliance is marking its 50th anniversary with confidence. Despite uncertainty over Kosovo, NATO leaders are preparing to welcome three former Eastern Bloc nations into the fold. Blair renewed warnings that NATO is prepared to use force in Kosovo, saying that peace would not come to the beleaguered province until true democracy was embraced. Starting on Monday defence ministers from NATO member states are holding a three day conference in London. The forum is being hosted by Britain's Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies. Delegates include defence ministers from Germany, France, Hungary, Ukraine, Spain and Britain. In his keynote address the Chief of U-K Defence Staff, General Sir Charles Guthrie, told the delegates that the first principals of NATO had not changed noticeably in its 50 year history. What had changed he said was NATO's role in peace keeping, especially in Eastern Europe. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Although 50 years may seem like a long time ago I believe that the founders of NATO would still be able to recognise much of the alliance as it is today. The solemn commitment to each others defence, the firm linkage with military credibility, with political will, the integrated military structures. But other aspects of NATO have changed beyond recognition not least in its relations with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, and also in its capacity to use its military capability for peace support operations" SUPER CAPTION: General Sir Charles Guthrie, Chief of UK Defence Staff Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic will formally join the alliance on Friday at a ceremony at the Harry S Truman Library in Independence, Missouri. It was there in 1949 that President Truman announced the formation of NATO to defend western Europe against the Soviet Union. Nine other former Soviet-bloc countries are seeking admission into NATO. Russia, however, is warning against further eastward expansion. Tony Blair's opening address to the NATO chiefs touched on the present role for NATO on the eve of the millennium. He said that while NATO was once needed to protect the West from possible Soviet aggression, the organisation now exports security to other countries and is creating a framework of stability and security across the whole Euro-Atlantic area. But on a more specific note he warned the Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic that NATO would not stand by as innocent people in Kosovo continued to be routed and killed. He also implied that while Milosevic's regime continued to operate there was no hope for peace in Kosovo. SOUNDBITE: (English) "We will not, indeed we cannot accept prevaricate in the negotiations. No side can be allowed to obstruct progress. In this crucial period President Milosevic and his commanders must also understand that NATO will not stand by in the face of renewed oppression in Kosovo or atrocities like the one we witnessed recently at Racak, nor can the International War Crimes Tribunal in the Hague. True peace and security will not come to the former Yugoslavia until authoritarian nationalist governments give way to democracy based on ideas rather than ethnicity". SUPER CAPTION: Tony Blair, UK Prime Minister On the subject of a possible NATO ground force to police any peace deal in the province, he said NATO was the only force that could feasibly carry out such a mission. SOUNDBITE: (English) SUPER CAPTION: Tony Blair, UK Prime Minister our civilized, modern world has seen." Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...