NATO defence chiefs discuss political changes in Mideast

BRUSSLS, Jan 19 (KUNA) -- Chiefs of Defence from sixty-seven NATO member and partner countries concluded two days of meetings at NATO Headquarters Thursday evening after discussing NATO operations and other security issues. General Knud Bartels, the new Chairman of the NATO Military Committee , told a press conference that they discussed developments in Middle East and North Africa, Afghanistan and Kosovo.
He said the meeting listened to the militry representatives from Mediterranean Dialogue countries (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia), and diuscussed the implications of the recent political changes in the Middle East and North Africa.
The defence chiefs took stock of the situation in Afghanistan and expressed "guarded optimism that Afghanistan is moving in the right direction," said Bartels.
Commenting on media reports that Pakistan is to open supply routes to NATO forces in Afghanistan, he said "Pakistan is moving in th right direction" and added that "we have to find a solution acceptable to both sides." Pakistan had shut the supply routes in protest against NATO cross-border air attack that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November. (end) nk.mt KUNA 192136 Jan 12NNNN