Partnership for Peace

NATO has something something called Partnership for Peace (PfP).  It's a bilateral cooperation programme between NATO and Euro-Atlantic partner countries that lets partners build up an individual relationship with NATO.  PfP started in 1994 as a way to build security relationships between NATO and non-NATO countries.  Participating countries choose their own priorities for cooperation and the both the level and pace of progress.

The programme allowed NATO to reach out to former Warsaw Pact and Soviet Republics following the end of the Cold War.  The programme allows countries to build closer relationships with NATO without actually becoming a NATO member.  It's important to remember that the PfP programme has nothing to do with NATO's article 5 which says that an attack on one NATO country is an attack on all.  So while Ukraine is a PfP member it is not a member of NATO.  

Here's the list of when countries joined the PfP programme.  Many went on to officially join NATO later on.  

Romania - 26.01.1994

Lithuania - 27.01.1994

Poland - 02.02.1994

Estonia - 03.02.1994

Hungary - 08.02.1994

Ukraine - 08.02.1994

Slovakia - 09.02.1994

Bulgaria - 14.02.1994

Latvia - 14.02.1994

Albania - 23.02.1994

Czechia - 10.03.1994

Moldova - 16.03.1994

Georgia - 23.03.1994

Slovenia - 30.03.1994

Finland - 09.05.1994

Sweden - 09.05.1994

Azerbaijan - 04.05.1994

Turkmenistan - 10.05.1994

Kazakhstan - 27.05.1994

Russia - 22.06.1994

Armenia  05.10.1994

Uzbekistan - 13.07.1994

Belarus - 11.01.1995

Austria - 10.02.1995

Malta - 26.04.1995

Macedonia - 15.11.1995

Switzerland - 11.12.1996

Ireland - 01.12.1999

Croatia - 25.05.2000

Tajikistan - 20.02.2002

Bosnia and Herzegovina - 14.12.2006

Montenegro - 14.12.2006

Serbia - 14.12.2006

In 1999, Czechland, Hungary, and Poland became the first three PfP countries to join NATO.

In 2004, NATO saw its largest expansion when seven PfP countries joined - Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

Malta joined the programme in 1995 but left in 1996 and rejoined in 2008.

In 2009 - Albania and Croatia joined NATO.  Montenegro joined NATO in 2017 and North Macedonia joined in 2020 as the 30th NATO member.

In 2014, when Russia first invaded Ukraine, NATO suspended practical cooperation with Russia.  It's hard to picture Russia as a Partnership for Peace member considering it invaded Ukraine to keep it from joining NATO in the future.  But by doing do, I don't think it will be long until Finland and Sweden decide to join NATO.

Traditionally neutral countries such as Austria, Finland, Sweden, and Switzerland are all PfP members.  For Austria, the programme allows for cooperation with NATO without joining because under the country's constitution, Austria is prohibited from entering into military alliances and no foreign military bases may be on Austrian territory.  

Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City are all neutral micro states that are surrounded by NATO members.  They are all a part of the OSCE but they do not participate the PfP programme.

Cyprus is the only EU member that isn't a member of either NATO or the PfP programme. Kyrgyzstan is the only former Soviet republic that didn't join the PfP programme.  It did join the CSTA with Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Tajikistan.

Update: 4 April 2023 - Finland became the 31st member of NATO.

Republic of Indonesia

Indonesia, in Southeast Asia is an archipelago between the Indian and Pacific Oceans.  There are 17.000 islands and shares borders with Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste.  The capital and largest city is Jakarta which is located on Java, the world's most populous island.

It's huge!  Almost three times bigger than Texas and it's the world's largest island country.  Indonesia is home to more than 267 million people making it the fourth most populous country in the world.  It's also the most populous Muslim-majority country.

Archaeologists estimate that the islands were inhabited some two million to 500.000 years ago.  There were Buddhist and Hindu dynasties between the 8th and 13th centuries.  Islam came in the 8th century and became the dominant religion by the end of the 16th century.

Europeans came in 1512.  The Dutch were the dominant European power here for about 200 years which is why is used to be known as the Dutch East Indies and the Netherlands East Indies.

WWII and the Japanese invasion put an end to Dutch rule.  Following the war, Indonesia declared indolence in 1945 and it was recognised internationally in 1949.

In 1975 Indonesia invaded East Timor but in 1999 it successfully seceded from Indonesia.

Today the Republic of Indonesia is a presidential republic and it was a founding member of ASEAN.


The country is very diverse.  There are about 300 distinct ethnic groups with the largest being Javanese at 40% of the population.

There are six officially recognised religions - Islam, Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism.  There are 227 million Muslims mostly Sunnis.  Only about 10% of the population is Christian.  Like several Muslim countries, it does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.

The Rupiah (Rp) is the official currency.

The official language is Indonesian which is a standardised version of Malay.    Due to the country's population this makes it one of the world's most widely spoken languages.  But there are over 700 local languages.  700!



The flag is almost identical to that of Monaco.  The Indonesian flag is a bit larger and a slightly different shade of red.  I wonder how often this becomes a "thing".

In 2012 the Czech Export Bank and the Indonesia Exim Bank signed an agreement to support import/export activities between the two countries.  Czechland imports textiles, clothes, footwear, and rubber from Indonesia.  Indonesia imports machinery, chemicals, electrical and power generation and telecommunications equipment from Czechland.  It's about $500 million of bilateral trade.

Here's a 2016 video I found on YouTube about how powerful Indonesia is.

©Test Tube News

Emergency Numbers

In the USA, if you need to make an emergency call for the police, fire department or an ambulance you dial 911.  In Europe, each country has their own emergency numbers.  For example, in Czechland you call:

150 for fires, natural disasters, accidents and emergencies
155 for health problems, injuries or accidents requiring medical attention
156 for the municipal police
158 for disturbances of public order and safety, traffic accidents or to report a crime

And that's just for Czechland.  To get an ambulance in Spain you dial 061, in Austria it is 144, in Italy it is 118, in Croatia it is 94, in Hungary the number is 104, while both the UK and Ireland use 999.  The list of numbers goes on and on. 

It can be a real problem if you don't know the emergency number in the country you're visiting.  So the European Union came up with the 112 number.  Aside from the local numbers, anyone in any EU country can dial 112 for any emergency - police, fire, ambulance.  112 even works in some non-EU countries such as Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Vatican City, Iceland, Macedonia, and Serbia.

112 is a free call from either land line or mobile phones and can be used even without a SIM card.  The 112 number is awesome because the operators are prepared to dispatch calls in foreign languages.  So no need to speak Czech if you need the police.

Here's short video I found out on YouTube about the 112 emergency number.

 

© European Commission

Monte Carlo, Monaco

Monaco is broken down in to four quarters: Fontvieille, Monaco-Ville, La Condamine and Monte Carlo.  So Monte Carlo is officially an administrative area and where the casino is.  But for all intents and purposes you can think of Monte Carlo as the country's capital.  So far as a capital in an almost 2 km² country can be.


The train from Nice to Monaco is only about 20 minutes which makes for a very easy day trip.

There is no airport in Monaco.  The closest one is in Nice.


 
The Palais du Prince (Prince's Palace) is where the Grimaldi family has ruled Monaco since 1297.



The Oceanographic Museum and Aquarium is world renowned.  You kind of figure it has to be if Jacques Cousteau was the museum's director for over 30 years.



The Saint Nicholas Cathedral is the home of the Archdiocese of Monaco.  It was consecrated in 1875.



This is where Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III were married.  Many of the Grimaldis are buried here including the Prince and Princess.



The Japanese Garden opened in 1994 after three years of building.  It is 7,000 square meters and sits on top of a car park.  It makes for a nice little place to relax in such a congested area.


The casino was established in 1863 and is world famous for roulette, poker and blackjack (my favorite).  This is where the mega-wealthy hang out at and you can tell just by looking at the parking lot.  Every other car is a Ferrari or a Bentley.

As far as I got in to the casino.

Jackets and ties are required and tennis shoes are not allowed so I obviously didn't get a chance to break the bank at the casino.  Besides it costs €10 just to get inside to the slot machines and no cameras are allowed.

Monte Carlo's only public beach is Laryotto.  It's small but nice.  The pebbles are much smaller than at the beaches in Nice.  But I still can't wait to get back to California's sandy beaches.  

The Champions Promenade is a walk of stars for famous footballers (soccer players).

Future Grand Prix racer?

My personal little quest this trip was to find the grave of Josephine Baker.  It took a while but I finally found it.  She was an American singer, dancer and actress who at one time was the richest black woman in the world. 





Due to segregation and racial prejudice she gave up her American passport for one from her adopted country, France, whom she helped during WWII as a member of the Resistance.  Later in life she adopted twelve children of all races whom she called her Rainbow Tribe.  When she died in 1975 she was given a state funeral in Paris and was buried here in Monaco.  Here's an 80-minute documentary I found on YouTube that tells her story.

Principality of Monaco

The Principality of Monaco is the world's second smallest country, just ahead of the Vatican.  It's basically a city state on the French Riviera.  It's tiny; about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC.  Monaco sits on the Mediterranean Sea with France bordering on three sides.  With a population just over 36,300 in an area of 1.98 km² (0.76 square mile) it is the world's most densely populated country.  Since the country is so small there really isn't a capital city.

Monaco has a constitutional monarchy with Prince Albert II as the head of state.  Although an independent country, France is responsible for defense.

There is no income tax and low business taxes so the country is a tax haven.  It has the world's lowest poverty rate and the highest number of millionaires and billionaires per capita.  So there is a lot of money here.  The unemployment rate is 0% with 48,000 people working daily in France and nearby Italy.

Tourism is the main industry.  Many cruise ships make stops here and lots of people dream of striking it rich at the famous Monte Carlo casino.

Even though Monaco is not a member of the EU, the national currency is still the Euro.  The country is a de facto member of the Schengen zone.  Monaco joined the United Nations in 1993.



In 1956, Grace Kelly married Prince Ranier III.  I think most Americans know Monaco simply because of Princess Grace.

Here's a Rick Steves video I found on YouTube to give more information about the country.

©Rick Steves

Update 2025:  Here's a short video I found on YouTube.

©History Matters

Schengen

Schengen is a small town in Luxembourg near the French and Dutch borders. Back in 1985, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, France, Belgium and West Germany signed the Schengen Agreement which called for the gradual removal or checks at their common borders.

Since then 25 countries have joined the Schengen zone. They are Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Romania and Bulgaria hope to join later in 2011.  San Marino, Vatican City and Monaco are all de facto members.

Schengen is different from the EU. Iceland, Norway and Switzerland are not members of the EU but are part of the Schengen zone. Ireland and the United Kingdom are EU members but are not Schengen members.  They have their own Common Travel Agreement.

There are no passport checks when traveling between Schengen countries. I don't get a passport stamp when I travel from Czech Republic to Germany. However, I do get stamped coming and going between Germany and the UK because the UK isn't a Schengen country.

USA citizens don't need a visa to enter the Schengen zone. But there is a maximum stay of up to 90 days in a six-month period. Overstaying the 90 days is a big deal. There is a very hefty fine, you get deported and are banned from entering any Schengen country from 1 to 5 years. They don't play around with this over here.

One of the reasons my long-term visa (green card) is so complicated is because the Czech Republic is now part of Schengen. The visa allows me to reside full-time (for 1 or 2 years) in the Czech Republic and allows me to travel within all of the other Schengen countries without border checks.

Update: In December 2011, Switzerland and Liechtenstein both joined Schengen.  

Update: As of January 2016, Bulgaria and Romania are still not yet members.  No word yet either on when Cyprus will join.

Update: Croatia joined the EU in 2013 and should have joined Schengen by 2015.  It is on track now to join in 2020.

Update 2023:  Croatia joined Schengen but Bulgaria and Romania still haven't joined.

The Euro - €

The euro (€) is the official currency of the European Union, and is used by 327 million Europeans in 16 of the 27 member countries. After the U.S. dollar, it is the 2nd largest reserve currency and the 2nd most traded currency.

Inspiration for the € symbol itself came from the Greek epsilon (Є), as a reference to the cradle of European civilization, and the first letter of the word Europe. It is crossed by two parallel lines to ‘certify’ the stability of the euro.


€1 is divided in to 100 cents. The coins come in denominations of 1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, €1 and €2. One side of the coin is common and the other side is a national side that shows an image specifically chosen by the country that issued the coin. Kind of like how each U.S. quarter features a different state.

Banknotes come in denominations of €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200 and €500. Each banknote has its own color and is dedicated to an artistic period of European architecture. The front of the note features windows or gateways and the back has bridges.

Just like Czech money, the coins and banknotes get physically larger as the value increases.

Countries have to meet strict criteria in order to join the Eurozone. For example, a country's budget deficit must be less than 3% of it's GDP, its debt ratio must be less than 60% of its GDP, inflation must be low and interest rates must be close to the EU average. All new EU countries must work towards eventually adopting the euro. The only 3 long-standing EU countries that have yet to adopt it are the UK, Denmark and Sweden. It will be several years before the Czechs start using it. Slovakia switched to the euro 1 year ago. I think Slovaks are kind of proud that they switched before the Czechs could.

It is nice to be able to use a single currency in most of Europe. The problem is that, for the most part, I now think in Czech Crowns. So when I see something priced in euros, I first have to mentally convert the euros into dollars, and then convert the dollars into crowns so that I realize just how much I'm spending. Kind of crazy, I know. But at least I don't have to figure out marks, schillings and lire.

Update:  The following countries all use the Euro as their official currency even though they are not members of the Eurozone or the EU:  Andorra, Kosovo, Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino and Vatican City.

Update:  In 2013, the new €5 banknote was released in to circulation.

Update:  In 2014, the new €10 banknote was released in to circulation. 

Update:  In 2015, the new €20 banknote was released in to circulation.

Update:  In 2017, the new €50 banknote was released in to circulation.

Update:  In 2019, the new €100 & €200 banknotes were released in to circulation.