BERLIN, March 26, SPA -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursdaybacked calls to revamp NATO's security structure and urgedstrong ties with Russia, AP reported. Merkel underlined the need for the reforms in aparliamentary address before the alliance's 60thanniversary summit April 3-4 in France and Germany. «NATO needs to adapt its strategy to meet newchallenges,» Merkel said. The summit will welcome Albania and Croatia into thealliance and formally restore relations with Moscow thatwere cut during Russia's war with Georgia last August. While the chancellor underlined the importance of thealliance remaining open to «willing» democracies inEurope _ specifically saying Georgia and Ukraine shouldretain the potential to join _ she said that she saw noneed for a «global NATO.» Merkel underlined the need for strong relations betweenNATO and Russia, saying «the days of the Cold War areirretrievably gone,» but insisted the relationship must bebased on mutual trust and cooperation. --SPA www.spa.gov.sa/648117