ABSTRACT
The end of the cold war in Europe has fundamentally altered European and trans-Atlantic security relations. While the division of the continent into two mutually threatening military blocs has disappeared, unity has not yet emerged. Nations to the west and east of the former cold war divide are currently deliberating the shape of the post-cold war security framework, and how to progress toward the goal of common security.
As the very definition of security continues to evolve in the post-cold war era, existing norms and institutions are being challenged. Some argue that new approaches, methods, and institutions are required to address new threats to security. A sense of urgency to respond to these challenges is felt more strongly in the eastern part of the continent, where the end of the cold war has left countries without firm security ties. Without adequate solutions to the security 394problems of the region, some feel that the prospects for regional stability and successful democratic and market transformation could be placed in jeopardy. Among Western states, however, consensus is still lacking as to how countries can continue to foster their own security and promote national interests, while addressing the new challenges to the East.
This paper discusses regional security issues in East-Central Europe, with a focus on relations with NATO. The evolving concept of security in the post-cold war era and aspects of the new security environment are the subject of the first section. The quest for security by former communist countries, such as Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania, has given rise to a sharp policy debate in the West, reviewed in the next section, over appropriate responses. The outcome of that debate will be determined not only by Western views, but also by policies and perspectives of the East-Central European states, which are outlined in the final section.
