Nov 19 (Reuters) - NATO leaders approved a new 10-year mission statement for the Western military alliance on Friday, recommitting it to a global military role despite its bruising experience in the war in Afghanistan. [ID:nLDE6AI1XX]
Following are some key facts about the document, known as the Strategic Concept, approved by the 28 NATO member states at a summit in Lisbon.
-- It confirms the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's core task of defending its territory and its commitment to collective defence of its members. It also commits the alliance to developing new defences against threats such as cyber and missile attack.
-- It recommits the alliance to crisis-prevention and crisis management operations and to working more closely with international partners including the United Nations and the European Union.
-- It commits NATO to working towards a world without nuclear weapons, but says that while such weapons exist NATO will remain a nuclear-armed alliance.
-- It restates NATO's commitment to keep its door open to all European democracies that meet membership criteria. It says NATO will continue partnership talks with former Soviet republics Georgia and Ukraine, both of which have been promised eventual NATO membership.
-- It highlights shared security interests with Russia and commits to enhanced cooperation in areas including missile defence, counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics, counter-piracy and promotion of international security.
-- It commits NATO to a process of continuous reform towards a more "effective, efficient and flexible" alliance. Leaders pledged in the document to maximise the deployability of their armed forces and to cooperate in defence planning to reduce duplication and make best use of resources.
To see the full document, please follow the following link to the NATO website: http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/official_texts_68580.htm
(reporting by David Brunnstrom)
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