ABSTRACT
The character and direction of political change in Eastern Europe and the demand for force reductions threaten ultimately to render the negotiations on Conventional Forces in Europe and the talks on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures (CSBMs) obsolete. According to the Madrid mandate of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe process, which called for new CSBMs to be developed and implemented, the purpose of confidence- and security-building measures is to reduce the risk of military confrontation in Europe. The re-emergence of nationalism, political tensions between national minorities and border disputes, however, is much more of a threat to Central Europe than a surprise attack by a military alliance. Zones of confidence and security created along the present national borders in Europe with limits on the size and frequency of exercises and mobilization capability could be an additional CSBM.
