Brussels, March 16, SPA -- NATO's chief has called on the transatlanticmilitary alliance to develop a new, long-term strategy designed totackle third-millennium concerns such as cyber attacks, globalwarming, energy security and nuclear threats, Reported dpa. In a speech delivered on Saturday evening in Brussels, NATOSecretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said allies should alsoconsider improving political dialogue, both among themselves and withNATO's global partners, including Russia and China. And they should also start thinking about increasing NATO's budgetto match the "growing list of responsibilities." De Hoop Scheffer said such a new "Strategic Concept" would helpbetter explain its role to the general public and shape "what kind ofNATO do we want for the years to come." NATO's current broad strategy dates back to 1999, and the NATOchief says it has become outdated in the light of such events asSeptember 11, the deployment of a major mission in Afghanistan andthe threats posed by globalization. "If you are an Estonian, you are clearly worried about therecurrence of massive cyber attacks; if you are a Norwegian, youwonder what the consequences of global warming and the competitionfor energy resources will be on activities in the high north; if youare a Briton, a Spaniard or a Turk and have witnessed a majorterrorist incident in one of your cities, you obviously wonder whatis coming next; and if you come from a country with a high degree ofenergy dependency, you obviously wonder how you are going to cope ifsupplies are disrupted," he said. NATO's present difficulties in Afghanistan have also highlightedthe need to respond to threats not just by military needs, but alsothrough a "comprehensive approach" that should include bettercoordination with civilian actors, he said. The updated strategy would also set out new rules for thealliance's eastern expansion. Georgia and Ukraine are among two ofthe countries that have recently signalled their willingness to joinNATO. His appeal came a few weeks before NATO leaders were due to holdtheir summit in Bucharest on April 2-4.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/536960