NATO foreign ministers gather in Tallinn - Update

Tallinn - The foreign ministers of NATO's 28 members gathered in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, on Thursday for two days of informal talks on alliance expansion and reform, nuclear weapons and the handover of security in Afghanistan to local forces.

Delivering a keynote speech to launch the discussions, NATO secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the alliance should work to develop a joint missile defense shield and make greater use of common funding, while continuing its mission in Afghanistan.

The alliance "must retain a nuclear capability as long as there are rogue regimes or terrorist groupings that may pose a nuclear threat to us" Fogh Rasmussen said.

"We also need a credible missile defense system providing coverage for all the allies," he added.

National missile defense systems could be connected into "a NATO- wide missile shield to protect all our allies that would be a very powerful demonstration of NATO solidarity in the twenty first century," Fogh Rasmussen said, expressing hope that progress on the issue would be made by the time of the next NATO summit meeting.

Rasmussen also urged the alliance to make greater use of common funding sources instead of present arrangements in which member states pay for their own deployments.

Common funding of NATO activities represents less than half a percent of the defense budgets of all 28 members, Rasmussen said.

"I personally would like to see a much greater use of common funding to finance our alliance and our operations," he said, citing examples of countries willing to send troops or equipment to NATO operations but lacking the cash to do so.

Describing Afghanistan as the most challenging military operation NATO has ever undertaken, Fogh Rasmussen said the alliance was prepared to stay in the country "as long as it takes" to achieve stability.

NATO leaders are due to meet in Lisbon in November to draw up a new strategy for the alliance, and the foreign ministers' meeting is intended to start the debate on the main issues.

The last time NATO drew up an overall strategy was a decade ago, before world-changing events such as the terrorist attacks on New York of September 11, 2001, or NATO's decision to take the lead in the UN-mandated security mission in Afghanistan.

Ministers are also set to debate the question of whether Bosnia has done enough to merit a NATO membership action plan (MAP).

In December, the ministers said that Bosnia would be given a MAP once its leaders proved that they were able to work with one another. The alliance is divided over whether recent moves by the Bosnian presidency were enough to justify a MAP.

On Thursday evening, they are set to debate the question of nuclear disarmament and missile defense, following the recent arms- control deal between the US and Russia.

On Friday, ministers are set to discuss relations with Russia and the best way to hand over responsibility for security in Afghanistan to local forces.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/320014,nato-foreign-ministers-gather-in-tallinn--update.html.