PREFACE

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NATO ECONOMIC Colloqium, 
30 June, 1 and 2 July 1993, 
Brussels

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS IN COOPERATION PARTNER COUNTRIES
FROM A SECTORAL PERSPECTIVE

EVOLUTION DE LA SITUATION ECONOMIQUE DANS LES PAYS
PARTENAIRES DE LA COOPERATION DU POINT DE VUE SECTORIEL

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PREFACE

Reiner Weichhardt
Deputy Director 
NATO Economics Directorate

The 1993 NATO Economics Colloquium on "Economic
Developments in Cooperation Partner Countries from a
Sectoral Perspective" was one of the economic items
included in the 1993 Work Plan of the North Atlantic
Cooperation Council. Under the Chairmanship of M. Daniel
George, NATO's Director of Economic Affairs, the conference
brought together some 150 specialists from governmental
bodies, the business world and academia. 32 speakers from
Allied and Partner countries and international
organizations made presentations providing various insights
into the opportunities and constraints of the economic
reform process in Central and Eastern Europe in a number of
crucial sectors.

In his keynote speech Professor Leszek Balcerowicz, the
former Polish Finance Minister, stressed the link between
politics and economics in the transition of C&EE countries
to the market economy, underlining the inevitable burdens
which the reform process is putting on the shoulders of
peoples. The subsequent six panels dealt with topical
sectoral issues, i.e. living standards and social welfare,
the economic aspects of ethnic tensions and migration,
industrial restructuring and defence conversion, energy,
transport and environment. The concluding panel was devoted
to the overarching theme of risks and opportunities for
socio-economic stability.

As the Colloquium Chairman stressed in his final remarks,
the Colloquium proceedings made it clear that:

- It is still extremely difficult to obtain a clear-cut
picture of economic progress and constraints in the C&EE
countries and particularly the former Soviet Union.
Official statistics often provide incomplete and misleading
indications.

- There is a firm link between economic development and
security and stability in C&EE countries. Radical economic
reforms result, for a certain period of time, in heavy
social costs which can have politically undesirable
consequences.

- Functioning channels for directing and steering bilateral
and multilateral assistance programmes and packages in
order to implement them in an efficient way are essential.
Regional factors have to be taken into account in providing
external assistance.

The present volume includes papers submitted by speakers.
As only a few factual updates were made during the
editing process, the presentations reflect as accurately as
possible the state of information available at the time of
the conference.

In sum, the Colloquium has proved to be a solid element of
the 1993 NACC Work Plan. It provided a most useful
discussion and brainstorming forum and a major venue for a
free exchange of views among participants. The conference
results will fertilize the future economic dialogue and
cooperation within the framework of the North Atlantic
Cooperation Council.


Brussels 
November 1993

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Copyright 1993 NATO

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Directorate, NATO, via e-mail 'scheurweghs@hq.nato.int'.

First edition 1993
ISBN 92-845-0079-6

This is the latest in a series bringing together papers
presented at the NATO colloquia organised by the NATO
Economics Directorate and Office of Information and Press
on economic issues in the former USSR and Central and
East European countries. For further information please
write to the Director, Office of Information and Press,
1110 Brussels, Belgium.

The articles contained in this volume represent the views
of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the
official opinion or policy of member governments or NATO.