Agence France-Presse,
CAIRO: NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer Wednesday ruled out any prominent role for the alliance in the Middle East in the near future, but left the door open for partnerships with states in the region.
“NATO is not going to be actively involved in the many problems facing this region,” the chief of the 26-member alliance told reporters in Cairo after a meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit.
NATO has for some time been seeking stronger ties in the region, notably through its so-called Mediterranean dialogue which aims to boost ties with Mediterranean-rim countries including Israel.
The military alliance insists, however, that it has no designs to become a political actor in the Middle East.
De Hoop Scheffer explained that NATO had no intention of imposing anything on the region, but wanted dialogue and understanding.
Egyptian officials said De Hoop Scheffer's discussions with Abul Gheit also covered developments in the region and the need to eliminate all weapons of mass destruction.
Abul Gheit said they also discussed the situation in the Palestinian territories, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria.
He added that they also discussed how NATO can help in the effort to clear mines planted during World War II.
The NATO chief arrived in Cairo earlier in the day at the start of a two-day visit to Egypt. He was scheduled to hold talks on Thursday with Egyptian Defense Minister Hussein al-Tantawi.
