NATO should consult more countries on security - chief

MUNICH, Feb 7 (Reuters) -

The four countries all had interests in stability in Afghanistan and could do more to help develop and assist the country, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. "What would be the harm if countries such as China, India, Pakistan and others were to develop closer ties with NATO? I think, in fact, there would only be a benefit, in terms of trust, confidence and cooperation," Rasmussen said. The alliance should become a forum for consultation with many other countries on a range of global security issues ranging from terrorism, cyber attacks, nuclear proliferation, piracy, climate change and competition for natural resources as well as Afghanistan, he said. "NATO can be the place where views, concerns and best practices on security are shared by NATO's global partners. And where, if it makes sense -- if we decide that NATO should have a role -- we might work out how to tackle global challenges together," he told a conference in Munich ahead of discussion of a new NATO Strategic Concept. The former Danish Prime Minister said NATO, a Western military alliance grouping 26 European nations, Canada and the United States, had already shown itself capable of combining consultation, military planning and actual operations for more than just NATO members. NATO was already assisting counter-piracy and humanitarian operations off Somalia, working with the African Union and carrying out operations in the Balkans and Afghanistan, he said. The NATO leader said he did not see the alliance becoming a competitor to the United Nations. "We are talking here about a group of nations consulting, formally or informally, on security. Nothing more. "In fact, I think it would actually benefit the UN. NATO is operating almost without exception in support of UN resolutions. Allies are all strong and active UN members.