The Visiting Forces (Designation) Order 1998

Statutory Instruments

1998 No. 1268

DEFENCE

The Visiting Forces (Designation) Order 1998

Made

19th May 1998

Coming into force

in relation to each country specified in Article 2, the date determined in accordance with Article 1(2)

At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 19th day of May 1998

Present,

The Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty in Council

Whereas it appears to Her Majesty that, having regard to the arrangements for defence co-operation to which Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom and the Governments of the countries specified in Article 2 of this Order are parties, it is expedient that the provisions of the Visiting Forces Act 1952(1) (“the 1952 Act”) following section 1 should have effect in relation to each of those countries:

Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by virtue of the powers conferred on Her by section 1(2) and 15(2) of the 1952 Act, is pleased, by and with the advice of Her Privy Council, to order, and it is hereby ordered, as follows:—

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Visiting Forces (Designation) Order 1998 and shall come into force in accordance with the following provisions of this Article.

(2) This Order shall come into force, in relation to each of the countries specified in Article 2 below, on whichever date is the later of—

(a) the date on which its Government becomes a party to the Agreement, dated 19th June 1995, made between member States of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and those other States which have accepted the invitation to take part in the Partnership for Peace(2); or

(b) the day after the date on which this Order is made.

(3) The date on which this Order comes into force shall, in relation to each of the countries specified in Article 2 below, be notified in the London, Edinburgh and Belfast Gazettes.

2.  The following countries are hereby designated for the purposes of sections 2 to 19 of, and the Schedule to, the Visiting Forces Act 1952:—

• Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Finland, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Russia, Switzerland, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

3.  This Order shall not extend to any of the territories specified in section 15(3) of the Visiting Forces Act 1952.

N. H. Nicholls

Clerk of the Privy Council

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order designates Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Finland, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Russia, Switzerland, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan as countries to which the Visiting Forces Act 1952 applies.

The Order partially implements, in relation to the countries designated by it, the obligations imposed on the United Kingdom by the Agreement, dated 19 June 1995, made between Member States of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and those other States which have accepted the invitation to take part in the Partnership for Peace (Miscellaneous No. 12 (1966), Cm 3237). The effect of this Order, together with the Visiting Forces (Designation) Order 1997, is to designate as countries to which the Visiting Forces Act 1952 applies all those States which have accepted the invitation of NATO to take part in the Partnership for Peace and which are parties to the Agreement of 19 June 1995.

(1)

1952 c. 67; section 1(2) was amended by section 33 of the Armed Forces Act 1996 (c. 46).

(2)

Misc. No. 12 (1966). Cm 3237.