North Atlantic Cooperation Council – Inaugural Statement

Brussels, Belgium – 20 December 1991

The NACC established a standing forum bringing together NATO members and partner countries from Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union to consult on political and security issues and to support democratic transformation and defense reform.

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Key Points

• Political dialogue between NATO and newly independent/transition states in the Euro‑Atlantic area.
• Practical cooperation in areas such as defense planning, civil‑military relations, and crisis management.
• Openness to progressive deepening of cooperation, later enabling PfP (1994) and replacement by the EAPC (1997).

Why It Matters

• Provided the first inclusive, structured bridge between NATO and former adversaries, enabling the cooperative security architecture of the 1990s.

Source

• NATO, “Inaugural Meeting of the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (NACC), Statement,” 20 Dec 1991. Original text via NATO Official Texts archive.