The 1985 Brussels summit was the 7th NATO summit bringing the leaders of member nations together at the same time. The formal sessions and informal meetings in Brussels, Belgium took place on 21 November 1985.[1] This event was only the eighth meeting of the NATO heads of state following the ceremonial signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949.[2] Lord Carrington was Secretary General of NATO at the time, and he chaired the meeting.
| Brussels summit | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Belgium |
| Dates | 21 November 1985 |
| Chair | Lord Carrington |
Background
editIn this period, the organization faced unresolved questions concerned whether a new generation of leaders would be as committed to NATO as their predecessors had been.[2] Generational change in the leadership of the Soviet Union brought Mikhail Gorbachev to the international stage.[3]
Carrington wrote for EUROPÄISCHE WEHRKUNDE a briefing paper entitled "Challenges to the Alliance".[4]
North Atlantic Council meeting summary
editPresident Reagan told the North Atlantic Council about his recent meeting with Gorbachev.[5] The meeting happened in the wake of the 1985 Geneva summit and was simply a report on developments there. Carrington remarked on the Ministerial meeting that was scheduled to occur in December.[6]
Ministerial meeting
editThe Defence Planning Committee of NATO met in Ministerial Session in Brussels over three days from 3 December 1986; day one of the meeting was devoted to a briefing on the Reagan-Gorbachev summit,[7] while the discussion over the final two days centred on the Annual Defence Review and the adoption of the NATO Force Plan 1987-1991, which "reflected our determination to give these Alliance priority areas special emphasis in our national plans and programmes."[8]
Of special note was the attention paid to the December 1984 decision to acquire more ammunition stocks for selected battle decisive systems. The objective was for each ally to maintain 30 days worth of munitions in order to prepare battle readiness.[7]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ NATO. "NATO summit meetings". Archived from the original on 9 May 2009. Retrieved 18 March 2009.
- ^ a b Thomas, Ian Q.R. (1997). The promise of alliance: NATO and the political imagination, p. 101.
- ^ Thomas, p. 130.
- ^ "Item STATEMENT CARRINGTON 15/11/1985 - "CHALLENGES TO THE ALLIANCE" - ENGLISH TEXT OF AN ARTICLE BY THE RT. HON. THE LORD CARRINGTON IN EUROPÄISCHE WEHRKUNDE DATED NOVEMBER 1985". NATO Archives Online. 15 November 1985.
- ^ "Item PRESS RELEASE 21/11/1985 - PRESIDENT REAGAN'S MEETING WITH THE NAC ON THURSDAY, 21ST NOVEMBER 1985". NATO Archives Online. 21 November 1985.
- ^ "Item STATEMENT SEC GEN 21/11/1985 - SPECIAL MEETING OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC COUNCIL STATEMENT BY THE SECRETARY GENERAL". NATO Archives Online. 21 November 1985.
- ^ a b "Final Communiqué". NATO. 3 December 1985.
- ^ "Final Communiqué". NATO. 5 December 1985.
References
edit- Thomas, Ian Q.R. (1997). The promise of alliance: NATO and the political imagination. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-8476-8581-3; OCLC 36746439