1. INTERNATIONAL TREATIES AND AGREEMENTS
The obligations and rights which derive from Greece's participation in international and defence organisations (UN, OSCE, NATO, EU, WEU) are integrated in the defence planning. Thus, the role of Greece as a factor of stability and peace in the sensitive area of SE Europe is substantially reinforced.
At the same time, the primary goal of compliance with international Law is implemented. For this purpose, Greece's defence planning includes the treaties and agreements signed by the country concerning arms control, international regulations for armed conflict (rules of international humanitarian law), regulations for international shipping and navigation (Treaty for the International Law of Sea and the Chicago Treaty), regulations and limitations relative to the control of conventional forces in Europe (CFE Treaty), freedom of over-flight for the purposes of the "Open Skies" Treaty control of exports and transfer of conventional weapons (Wassenaar Arrangement), ban on development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical, biological and toxin weapons and control of missile technology, as well as regulations related to the implementation of Article V of the Dayton Agreement.
Additionally, the limitations and commitments that our country has undertaken as a result of ratification of previous treaties concerning the nuclear weapons, especially the ban on placing nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction on the seabed, the comprehensive nuclear test Ban treaty (CTBT), the ban on military or any other aggressive use of technical methods of environmental modification and the ban on the proliferation of nuclear weapons, the ban on the use of inhumane weapons, as well as the regulations of international humanitarian law (Geneva Treaties and the attached Protocols) are incorporated in Greece's defence planning.
(see graphic 1)
Organisation for security and Co-operation in Europe (osce)
The organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) constitutes the only forum on an inter-European level, for addressing security, co-operation and human rights issues, jointly by all European nations, the USA and Canada. Its aim is to improve the effectiveness of its political role through the triptych of:
- crisis management,
- conflict prevention,
- peaceful settlement of differences.
On the absence of legal binding, this organisation is based on political obligation for implementation of its decisions.
- During the period of 1996-1997, Greece provided assistance to the work of OSCE as well as to the Dayton Agreement participating countries, by sending assistant escorts to conduct the inspections. In addition, Greece provided training related to the reduction of conventional weapons and is prepared to offer further assistance, if required.
On implementing the agreement on armament control in Bosnia-Herzegovina (Articles II and IV of Dayton Agreement), our country headed the multinational inspection delegation on 24/06/96 in this country.
Besides, within the framework of the Dayton Agreement, OSCE has undertaken total responsibility for the conduct of elections for governmental agents. The Hellenic Force in B-H, which constitutes the main transportation body of IFOR/SFOR, has effectively contributed to the successful completion of the elections.
Conventional Forces in Europe (CfE) Treaty
In the framework of the "Conventional Forces in Europe" (CfE) treaty, which has been signed by 30 countries and is in force since July 1992, Greece has agreed to reduce its armaments by November 1995 to the levels shown in the following table:
In order to carry out its obligations, Greece has destroyed, in total, 1,052 tanks, 428 APCs - AFVs, 192 artillery pieces and 285 mortars.
In compliance with the terms of the CFE treaty and the resulting CFE 1A act, Greece has specified the maximum number of Army and Air Force personnel as 158,621 men. Additionally, in the framework of the CFE treaty, Greece implements the scheduled yearly transfer of data relative to units and formations of the Army and the Air Force. Greece receives a number of CFE inspections and at the same time conducts inspections on military facilities of other signatory countries, in order to verify the declared weapon systems.
The organs of control, planning and implementation of the Treaty are:
- The Joint Consultative Group (JCG), a permanent OSCE organ based in Vienna (All NATO member countries and the other CFE member countries are represented - 30 countries in total).
- The Verification and Co-ordination Committee (VCC) based in Brussels (NATO member countries are represented).
The main Treaty provisions are:
Annual Data Exchange: Greece declares 112 sites (Objects of Verification-OoV), (Army : 100, Air Force : 12) and their corresponding weapon systems.
Inspections: With the aim of verifying the declared data through a system of active and passive inspections, Greece receives and conduct verification inspections.
Implementation agents: within the member countries are usually the Verification Centers. In Greece, the corresponding responsibility has been assigned to HAGS's Arms Reduction Control Division (ARCD), to Directorate A3/4 of HAGS and to the CFE Directorate of the National Intelligence Service (NIS). MoD Staff and HNDGS' ARCD are responsible for the co-ordination, planning and monitoring of the developments.
2. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
During 1996 and 1997 and with the aim of promoting Greece's bilateral relations, supporting the country's national interests and exercising a rigorous defence diplomacy, the Hellenic Minister of Defence, the Deputy Minister as well as HNDGS staff officers visited several countries in the Balkans, the Mediterranean Basin, and in Western and Eastern Europe.
In addition, a substantial number of visits by Ministers, Deputy Minister and Chiefs of Staffs from Balkan, Mediterranean, EU and Central and East European countries, as well as of visits by representatives from international organisations, has taken place within the same period of time.
The result of this intensive activity in the area of international relations was the signing of a series of defence agreements and agreements of military co-operation, as well as the participation of Greece country in peace support operations. The aim of these agreements is the creation of an atmosphere of peace, security and co-operation.
It is noted that within the framework of international co-operation in the area of defence, Greece has reached agreements (Memoranda of Under-standing - MOU) with :USA, U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Egypt, Romania, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Norway, Ukraine, S.Africa, Albania and Israel, while similar agreements with Bulgaria, India the Nether-lands, Azerbaijan, Poland and Canada are in progress. With these agreements Greece aims at playing a primary role in the area of SE Europe, the Black Sea, and the Eastern Mediterranean countries.
The activities which took place in 1996 aiming at improving Greece's international relations, include:
- The participation of a Greek delegation in the High Level Consultative Committee (HLCC) meeting, which took place in the US between 14 and 17 May 1996.
- Medical training of Albanian military personnel.
- The signing of military co-operation agreements with Ukraine and Georgia.
- The promotion of military co-operation agreement with the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia and Azerbaijan.
- The approval by the NATO Ministers of Defence Meeting 13 on June, 1996 of Country Chapters which include the Force Goals of the member countries of the Alliance for the period of 1997-2000. The Force Goals represent the agreed goals which must be implemented by the member countries as part of the commitment to the co-ordinated planning of alliance forces and their equal contribution to collective defence, taking into consideration the existing political and financial limitations.
- The continuation of staff processing of the Long Term Study (LTS), which -inter alia- concerns NATO's new command structure, with the provision for the establishment of a joint NATO HQs in Greece (Larissa).
- The commencement of bilateral co-operation with the Spanish Navy and Air Force, aiming at the co-operation areas with regard to operations and training.
- The invitation extended to twenty-six officers' families from Bulgaria, six from Hungary and ten from Armenia to stay at holiday resorts.
- The signing of a bilateral agreement for the provision of scholarships to officers from Albanian in order to study at Military Academies and NCO Schools in Greece.
- The signing of co-operation protocols with Romania for the reciprocal training of officers.
The activities developed in 1997 include:
- In May 1997 a meeting of the High Level Consultative Committee (HLCC) with the USA, took place in Heraklion, Crete.
- Annual programmes of military co-operation between the Hellenic MOD and the MODs of Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Poland and Russia, were signed and are being implemented.
- The plans of military co-operation for 1997 between the Hellenic Navy General Staff (HNGS) and Albania, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania and Russia were implemented. Within the framework of these activities, particular attention is drawn to the participation of certain ships in PfP exercises and to the exchange of personnel.
- Bilateral agreements on the provision of scholarships, with Cyprus, Jordan and Armenia, for Cypriot, Jordanian and Armenian students to attend Greek Military Academies and NCO schools are in progress.
- In the framework of the military training assistance, 68 scholarships for attendance in Military Academies and NCO schools of our country have been provided to Armenia, Albania, Georgia, Moldavia, Jordan, Eritrea, Namimbia, South Africa, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Uganda, Ghana, United Arab Emirates and Morocco.
- Research projects on issues of a common European defence policy and operations in the framework of WEU, as well as on issues of a NATO-WEU expansion, have been implemented.
PARTICIPATION OF THE GREEK ARMED FORCES IN PEACE
SUPPORT OPERATIONS AND HUMANITARIAN AID MISSIONS
Transportation means used: Two (2) C-130 A/C (based in Rimini) until March 1997. afterwards one (1) C-130, one Transport Company (280 men with 136 various type vehicles, based at Visoko), one destroyer or frigate (depending on the situation, in the Adriatic sea during the embargo, in Greece on a five day readiness) and now the SNFM ship, two minesweepers (in five and seven day readiness in Greece)
3. HELLENIC PEACE - SUPPORT MISSIONS
In the framework of UN activities, our country participates in peace-support missions with the assignment of cadres from all three services of the Armed Forces.
Basic requirement for the hellenic participation in peace-support operations is the observance of certain principles, such as, the existence of a mandate prior to the formation of the force, specified chain of command and control structure, size of the force, specific rules of engagement and operational concept as well as acceptance of the national composition of units from all the opposing parts.
Our country participates in the UN readiness system for peace-support operations, by forming the Hellenic Peace-support Mission Unit (HPMU). The manning of this unit will be effected on a voluntary basis.
The Hellenic Armed Forces, in solidarity with other countries, currently participate in two peace-support missions, in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Albania.
The Hellenic Force in Bosnia (HFB), consisting of 280 men and 136 vehicles, deployed in Bosnia-Herzegovina as of 10 January 1996, with a mission to transport supplies and all kinds of equipment for the IFOR (Implementation Force) and then for the SFOR (Stabilisation Force) from the airports and ports of this country, as well as from Croatia. The HFB is stationed in a military compound in the town of Visoco, 45 km north-west of Sarajevo with forces of Belgium, Luxembourg and Austria, and will remain there until completion of its mission. The forces of these countries form BELUGA (initials of the participating countries) and HFB is the leading nation since 1st April 1997, after the withdrawal of the major part of the Belgian forces. Up to this date, for the implementation of its mission, HFB has traveled 3,300,000 km and has consumed 760,000 lt. of fuel without any accident. The daily operational cost of HFB, covered entirely by the Hellenic MOD, is 12 million Drs, while the total cost up to 30/7/97 was 6.8 billion Drs.
(see map 1)
The Hellenic Force of Albania (HFoA), consisting of 803 men and 224 vehicles, deployed in Albania on April 16 1997, for operation ALBA with the following mission:
- To secure the main entry points in the area of operation, in order to ensure the arrival of the humanitarian aid and the on time delivery at the distribution stations.
- The creation of a safe environment for action for the International Committee and the International Organisations that are involved in the provision of aid to Albania.
- To create a safe environment for the elections of 19/6/97.
The HFoA was stationed in four military compounds of the Albanian Armed Forces in the areas of Tirana (Camps Isbberish and Vaqar), Avlon and Elbasan.
Missions of HFoA
Missions conducted by HFoA include reconnaissance, securing of routes and escort of the humanitarian aid of the international organisations in central and southern Albania, as well as transportation and security of the OSCE observers during the parliamentary elections. In total, 362 missions were executed, using 1,082 vehicles with the participation of 3,434 members of HFoA. The total distance covered amounted to nearly 225,000 km. After the completion of the mission of the Protection Force (FMP) within the time frame of the mandate, the withdrawal of the HFoA began and was completed on 3/8/97, except for one Company (205 men), that remained at the isbberish camp, following a bilateral agreement between the Governments of Albania and Greece. The main mission of this company is to assist the work of Greek military advisors to reorganise the Albanian armed forces and to protect the Military Hospital of Tirana built with Greek funds.
(see map 2)
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