NATO ENLARGEMENT - CONSEQUENCES FOR THE A LLIANCE AND FOR NORWAY OF THE RECENT DEVELOPMENT

NATO enlargement cannot be viewed in isolation, but must be related to the political and strategic revolutionary development in Europe since 1989 and the overall development of NATO in this period. This process has had dramatic security and military consequences, but has primaril y been of a political nature. The changing European political and secu rity landscape has turned the overall attention and agenda more toward crisis management and the political aspects of security, with markedl y reduced weight on military capabilities and preparedness. As a conse quence the focus of the Alliance has also turned more towards the sout h, a development that tends to leave Norway even further away from the mainstream of both Alliance and European attention and interest. This development should cause concern in Norway, and should be countered b oth by political efforts and military measures.