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.

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

Italian Republic

Tomorrow I've got a day trip planned to Venice, Italy.  So here's a little bit about the Italian Republic.  Italy is easy to find on the map because it looks like a boot.  It also includes the islands of Sardinia and Sicily.  The population is over 61.25 million people and the country is slightly larger than Arizona.

Italia is also home to two independent countries.  San Marino is in the north and the Vatican is located within Rome, Italy's capital city.  There are no border checks, everyone speaks Italian and uses the Euro.

In 1861, the regional states on the peninsula, plus Sardinia and Sicily, became a nation under King Victor Emmanuel II.  In the early 1920s, Mussolini's Fascist dictatorship ended parliamentary government and eventually placed Italy as an Axis power.  Italy was defeated in WWII and a democratic republic replaced the monarchy in 1946.  Italy was a founding member of NATO and the European Union.

There is a big difference between the north and the south.  On average, people in the north earn more than the EU average while people in the south earn less.  The north is more industrial with lots of private companies driving the economy.  The south is less developed, is more agricultural, has higher unemployment and a larger dependency on government welfare.

Way cool that the Italian €1 coin features an image from Da Vinci.

Italy is part of the Schengen zone so there is open travel with the rest of the EU.  However, the country's long coastline makes it a target for illegal immigration from southeast Europe and northern Africa.  Other persistent problems for the country include organized crime, corruption, a large underground economy and a public debt that is ~120% of its GDP.  The current government is rolling out various austerity measures in an effort to turn things around.

But for all of its problems, Italy is still a major player.  It has the fourth-largest economy in Europe behind Germany, France and the United Kingdom (3rd in the Eurozone because the UK still uses the £).  Globally it is the seventh-largest economy and it holds the world's third-largest gold reserves.

The country is absolutely beautiful!  The food is amazing.  And how can you not love a country that produces the most wine in the world?  So far, I've made it to Milan, Florence, Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano and Rome.  But there are still so many more places to visit on the mainland, in addition to Sardinia and Sicily.  Naples, Bologna, Verona, Turin, Bari, and Padua are all on my list.  The country is rich in history and it is home to the largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Update 2025:  Here's a couple of short, interesting videos that I found on YouTube about why Italy wasn't occupied after WWII and why the country abolished its monarchy.

©History Matters

©History Matters

2011 Tuscan Road Trip Summary

My first proper European road trip went really well. From Murska Sobota, Miran and I drove to Tuscany.

Our first destination was San Gimignano, followed by Siena and then the regional capital, Florence. From there we headed to San Marino before eventually making our way back to Slovenia.

Toscana, Italian for "Tuscany", is probably the most photographed and romantic region in Italy. It is known for its beautiful landscape and is regarded as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. Tuscany has been home to some very influential people such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Puccini, Dante, Botticelli, Machiavelli, Galileo Galilei and Amerigo Vespucci.

Tuscany is home to six UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Roughly 10% of World Heritage is found in Tuscany.

San Marino made for a great day trip. It is Europe's 3rd smallest country and the world's oldest republic.

The four day road trip came out to around 1,800 km (1,120 miles). Gas in Slovenia is cheaper than in Italy so we made sure to fill up before we left. However, gas still ran us about €210 ($275) and the Italian road tolls came to €70 ($91). This was a wonderful trip and all of the photos are already posted on Flickr.

San Marino City, San Marino

The independent country of San Marino, located inside of Italy, is a 210 km (~130 mile) drive from Florence.

It's capital city is also called San Marino and it's a beautiful town with winding, hilly, cobblestone streets. The historic center was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.


The Basilica di San Marino is the town's main church and is located in the northeast part of the city. The Catholic church was built in 1836. It's next to the Church of St. Peter which was originally built in 600 AD.

The neo-Gothic Palazzo Pubblico is San Marino's town hall.





In front of the town hall is the Statue of Liberty. It was dedicated in 1876. Lady Liberty's crown features the three towers of Monte Titano.

Guaita was the first fortress built. It was carved out of the mountain in the 11th century. It was an important guard tower and for a brief time it served as a prison. This is the most impressive tower. However, from the second tower you get the best views of the first and third towers.

The second tower, Cesta, was built in the 13th century due to the Crusades. It is located on the highest of Mt. Titano's summits. Cesta houses a museum of antique weapons.


The third tower, Montale, is the smallest of the three towers and sits on the lowest peak. It was built in the 14th century. The first two towers are open to the public but the third tower is closed.

The three towers are worth exploring and offer great panoramic views. Unfortunately, it was kind of cloudy today but not enough to put a damper on the sightseeing.

Republic of San Marino

The Republic of San Marino is the 3rd smallest country in Europe, after the Vatican and Monaco. Like the Vatican, it is an independent country located inside of Italy. The entire country is 61 sq km (~24 sq miles). It is about 1/3rd the size of Washington, DC. It has a population close to 32,000 and the capital city is Città di San Marino.

Founded in 301 AD, it is the world's oldest republic. The country's constitution was enacted in 1600 making it the world's oldest constitution still in effect. Oddly enough, it had the world's 1st democratically elected communist government from 1945 to 1957, and then again from 2006 to 2008.

San Marino is not a member of the EU but it is a member of the Eurozone. Euro coins issued in San Marino tend to be popular collector's items.


The entire country is hilly. The highest point is Monte Titano. San Marino is best known for its three towers – Guaita, Cesta, and Montale, built on Mount Titano.

In 2008, Mount Titano and the historic center were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

On Thursday, I'm headed back to Slovenia to visit this really nice guy I met while on vacation. We're then taking a short road trip to Tuscany (San Gimignano, Siena, and Florence) and San Marino. This will make San Marino the 24th country I will have been to since moving to Europe. I wonder what #25 will be. But one step at a time.

Here's a short Rick Steve's video on San Marino that I found out on YouTube.

©Rick Steves

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.