DEFENCE: NATO MINISTERS MEET IN WAKE OF EU DEFENCE AGREEMENT.

EU defence plans.

The NATO meeting provided an opportunity for US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to clarify and express views on the EU defence deal - given that 11 of NATO's members are also EU Member States, including France, Germany and the UK. The US has had concerns about EU moves to create separate headquarters and planning structures, keen to see that NATO is not undermined. Mr Rumsfeld was reportedly cautious on the subject. Greek Defence Minister Yiannos Papandoniou was quoted as saying that the US Defence Secretary had "questioned the wisdom of this initiative, but in very general terms... I sensed a feeling of reservation but not so strong as to create any problems for the implementation of this agreement". Mr Rumsfeld then told a press conference: "I am confident and hopeful that things will sort through in a way that we end up with an arrangement that is not duplicative or competitive." Outgoing NATO Secretary-General George Robertson cautioned against EU-NATO duplication or competition.

Bosnia.

NATO Ministers also agreed to cut from 12,500 to 7,000 by June 2004 the size of the NATO-led SFOR (Stabilisation Force) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in a move that could pave the way for an EU takeover of peace-keeping duties in the country, using NATO resources, and possibly under British command.

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The North Atlantic Council concluded on December 1 that: "The Alliance has made indispensable contributions to peace and stability in the Balkans, and we remain fully committed to these goals. In light of significant progress in Bosnia Herzegovina, SFOR will reduce to a deterrent force of around 7,000 troops by next June. Over the coming months, we will consider how to adjust the operation...