Nato to widen ties with China, India, Pakistan

The head of Nato said yesterday its troubles in Afghanistan showed it was vital to boost ties with nations such as China, India and Pakistan and transform the alliance into a global security hub.

Drawing from flaws exposed in Afghanistan, where Nato is struggling to hold off a Taliban and Al Qaeda insurgency, Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the military alliance should become a forum for consultation on major hot spots.

"This is a key lesson we are learning in Afghanistan today… we need an entirely new compact between all the actors on the security stage," he said at a major security conference in Munich, southern Germany.

"India has a stake in Afghan stability. China too. And both could help further develop and rebuild Afghanistan. The same goes for Russia. Basically, Russia shares our security concerns," he said.

Nato and its partners have more than 110,000 troops in Afghanistan, but they have been unable to put down the insurgency for more than eight years.

 

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