NATO foreign ministers discuss cooperation with EU

BRUSSELS, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- NATO foreign ministers began two days of talks here on Tuesday on NATO-EU cooperation, global threats, and NATO's role in fighting terrorism.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the meetings, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the ministers would take decisions to prepare NATO's summit next July in Brussels.

"In a constantly evolving security landscape, NATO's partnership with the European Union (EU) is more important than ever," said the NATO chief, adding, "I expect we will agree to take NATO-EU cooperation to a new level."

The two blocs have signed a joint declaration and agreed on a series of concrete measures to strengthen cooperation on some key areas, including countering hybrid threats, maritime security, and cyber defense.

"NATO and the EU will aim to make military mobility a flagship and a priority for our cooperation. We will agree to share more information to counter terrorist threats," Stoltenberg added.

Ministers will also discuss global security challenges, including NATO's support for the Global Coalition to defeat the Islamic State (IS).

"As the coalition moves from combat operations to stabilization, we will consider how NATO's contribution should evolve," Stoltenberg said.

NATO-Georgia cooperation and NATO's open door policy will also be high on the agenda of the two-day meeting.

Ministers will be joined by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini as well as representatives of Finland and Sweden. Enditem