Non-NATO participants

Preparations for IFOR were undertaken in coordination with non-NATO countries and other international organizations which were involved in the implementation of the Peace Agreement. NATO Ministers welcomed the wide range of offers from Partnership for Peace and other nations outside the Alliance.

Every NATO nation with armed forces committed troops to this operation. But IFOR was more than a NATO operation. NATO invited 16 non-NATO countries to participate in IFOR:

Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden and Ukraine - all of which are Partnership for Peace countries - plus, Egypt, Pakistan and Malaysia.

Non-NATO forces were incorporated into the operation like any NATO force. They took their orders from the IFOR Commander through one of the multinational divisional commanders, and had liaison officers at SHAPE and the IFOR Headquarters in Sarajevo. In addition, arrangements were in place at NATO Headquarters in Brussels for political consultations with non-NATO IFOR troop-contributing nations.

Participation by non-NATO Partnership for Peace nations in IFOR not only contributed to the accomplishment of IFOR's mission but also provided these nations with useful practical experience in operating with NATO forces.