Saturday, September 23 2006 14:00 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Brussels: Formed to contain the might of the erstwhile Soviet Union-led communist alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is now focussing its efforts to fight terrorism and was seeking to widen its 'strategic contacts', including that with India.

"We are committed to increasing international commitments on anti-terror missions and to combat this menace are seeking increasing global partnerships from friendly nations," top NATO officials here said today (Sept 23,2006).

As NATO troops battle a resurgent Taliban and al Qaeda in southern parts of Afghanistan bordering Pakistan, the officials said they were not advocating enrolment of new member states, but setting up of strategic contact groups to give more teeth to the fight against terrorism.

Claiming that initial contacts had been made with New Delhi on this issue, they said, "Indian troop contribution could be a possible topic of discussion, but not the only one." While elaborating on the new concept of building global partnerships, the officials said the body was in strategic talks with other countries like Australia and Japan and also indicated that South Korean troops had joined the efforts of International stablisation and Assitance force in Afghanistan.