Press Release (96)52 12 April 1996

NACC Seminar on "Defence Conversion in East European Countries : Problems and Prospects" to be held in Minsk, Republic of Belarus 17-19 April 1996 A seminar on "Defence Conversion in East European Countries: Problems and Prospects", as scheduled in the 1996 Work Plan of the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (NACC), will be held from 17-19 April 1996 in Minsk, Republic of Belarus. The Belarus hosts are the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Industry. It is anticipated that about 20-25 defence conversion specialists from NATO and Cooperation Partner countries will attend the Seminar, plus a number of Belarus government officials and industry leaders. This activity is a follow-up to the 1995 NACC Seminar on "Demilitarization and Disarmament in Transition: Socio-Economic Consequences" which was also held in Minsk. A brief session on the opening day will include presentations by several participants from Western countries on defence conversion experiences, with an emphasis on state-owned enterprises. The discussions will provide an opportunity for Cooperation Partner participants to obtain additional information and to make comments on their countries' experiences (the "INTEGRAL" electronics/intergrated circuits plant and the "BEL OMO" optical/mechanical plant). The concluding session on Friday morning, 19 April, will focus on the progress and problems of Belarus industry as it makes the transition from military to civilian production. A press briefing will be held on Friday, 19 April, 12.00 hours, at the Hotel Oktyabrskaya Conference Room (to rear of Ulica Lenina 19) telephone int'l 7-0172-277137. For further information please contact Mr. Felix Dorough, NATO Economics Directorate (telephone int'l 32-2-707.45.43; fax 32-2-707.52.28).