Nato chief seeks ‘broader’ relationship with EU

The secretary general of Nato, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, has called for much closer ties between his organisation and the EU.

Speaking in Brussels on Tuesday, Scheffer said, "There needs to be a much broader Nato-EU relationship.

"I am not saying there has to be fundamental change but both institutions will suffer unless we can bring them closer together," he said.

He said that Nato and the EU military committee should meet "far more often" and support each other's operations "much more substantially".

Further improvement could come with the two pooling their resources more than is currently the case and embarking on common projects, he said.

Scheffer’s comments came during a wide-ranging address on Nato's future over the next ten years to a meeting of defence chiefs, ambassadors and other defence industry experts, organised by the Brussels-based think-tank, Security and Defence Agenda.

He added, "We should not have to wait ten years for this improvement - it should happen well before then. This should be our goal."

Energy security was another issue highlighted by the Dutchman.

He said, "Nato may not be a prime actor where energy security is concerned but, increasingly, this is an issue which is going to figure prominently on the political agenda.

"It may be, for example, that energy will be used as a military tool and that is why I believe Nato can play an important role in this area.

"Growing demand for energy and rising energy prices could lead to a whole range of unpleasant developments which will put a premium on energy security."

He also expressed his "deep concern" over recent developments in Macedonia and attempts by Greece to block that country's Nato membership.

"An enlarged Nato can result in enhanced global security and I hope the situation in Macedonia can be addressed."

He made no direct reference to the war in Iraq but gave his "full backing" to the mission by international security forces in Afghanistan.

The former Dutch foreign affairs minister, who has been in his current post for four years, also expressed confidence about the future of Nato, saying, "There will never be any substitute for Nato's military competence."

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