미국 국무부는 부시 대통령이 다음주 라트비아에서 열리는 북대서양조약기구 나토 (NATO) 정상회의에서 나토의 영향력을 확대하게될 나토회원국들과 5개국간 협력관계 구축안을 공식 제시할 것이라고 밝혔습니다.
국무부의 니컬러스 번스 정무차관은 21일, 부시 대통령은 한국, 일본, 호주, 핀랜드, 그리고 스웨덴에 26개 나토 회원국들과의 군사훈련과 협력관계를 확대하는 방안을 제시할 것이라고 밝혔습니다.
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The U.S. State Department says President Bush will propose a partnership arrangement for five countries that would expand the reach of NATO at the alliance summit in Latvia next week.
State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns said today (Tuesday ) Australia, Finland, Japan, South Korea and Sweden would be invited to expand training and meetings with the 26-member NATO alliance, but would not be invited to join.
Burns said the president's "transformed agenda" for NATO will give the defense bloc a more global orientation that can work outside of Europe.
Australia, Finland and Sweden currently have forces deployed with NATO in Afghanistan.
Burns said President Bush also will push NATO member countries to increase the share of their national budgets devoted to defense spending. He said higher spending is needed for the alliance to acquire the systems and capabilities required for modern warfare.