2 ETS 166 – European Convention on Nationality, 6.XI.1997 Preamble The member States of the Council of Europe and the other States signatory to this Convention, Considering that the aim of the Council of Europe is to achieve greater unity between its members; Bearing in mind the numerous international instruments relating to nationality, multiple nationality and statelessness; Recognising that, in matters concerning nationality, account should be taken both of the legitimate interests of States and those of individuals; Desiring to promote the progressive development of legal principles concerning nationality, as well as their adoption in internal law and desiring to avoid, as far as possible, cases of statelessness; Desiring to avoid discrimination in matters relating to nationality; Aware of the right to respect for family life as contained in Article 8 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms; Noting the varied approach of States to the question of multiple nationality and recognising that each State is free to decide which consequences it attaches in its internal law to the fact that a national acquires or possesses another nationality; Agreeing on the desirability of finding appropriate solutions to consequences of multiple nationality and in particular as regards the rights and duties of multiple nationals; Considering it desirable that persons possessing the nationality of two or more States Parties should be required to fulfil their military obligations in relation to only one of those Parties; Considering the need to promote international co-operation between the national authorities responsible for nationality matters, Have agreed as follows: Chapter I – General matters Article 1 – Object of the Convention This Convention establishes principles and rules relating to the nationality of natural persons and rules regulating military obligations in cases of multiple nationality, to which the internal law of States Parties shall conform. Article 2 – Definitions For the purpose of this Convention: a “nationality” means the legal bond between a person and a State and does not indicate the person's ethnic origin; b “multiple nationality” means the simultaneous possession of two or more nationalities by the same person;