NEW DELHI, Jan 30: Pakistan and India are expected to be roped in as future Nato partners, the US ambassador to the western military alliance was quoted on Friday as telling an Indian newspaper.

The Asian Age quoted Nicholas Burns as saying in Brussels that the two South Asian countries together with Russia were identified as potential partners though not yet as potential members of Nato.

"Nato, as you know, has been a Euro-centric institution for 55 years... But it's very clear to us that we've got to change our geographic focus," Mr Burns said.

"We're (already) in Afghanistan. We're going to be spreading out and I think that Nato will take control of all international military operations under a UN mandate in Afghanistan. I think Nato will probably go into Iraq this summer. Our partners increasingly are going to be Russia and I would say India and Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kirgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan."

The Asian Age said the United States expects Nato forces to go into Iraq this summer, which, if it happens, will enlarge the number of nations who have sent troops to the occupied country.

"It would also be a means to bring in troops from countries like France and Germany, who opposed America's war on Saddam Hussein. America would also like Russia to be involved in peacekeeping in Iraq," the newspaper said.

The idea seems to be to make an expanded Nato the military arm of the United Nations, "providing it with the muscle that it does not have." Equally important, the muscle will come from a group that is restricted to nations with a proven record of good relations with the United States and Europe.

Separately, the newspaper quoted unidentified Arab sources as saying that some key American allies in the region are scheduled to become members of Nato. Among them are Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait, Egypt and Tunisia.

Afghanistan will be the first laboratory of Nato's new, UN-mandated intentions. "The American goal would be that at some point in the next year or two Nato would essentially unite all of the different military activities under way in Afghanistan under one command to make it more efficient," said Mr Burns.

"And we hope to attract not just members of Nato but partners - Jordan, an Arab State, a Muslim State, is involved in Afghanistan. New Zealand's in Afghanistan. Australia is. We would very much welcome other countries from South Asia, Central Asia, North Africa, the Middle East, being involved. We want it to be a truly multinational peacekeeping effort."

He added that Nato would "expand from its present peacekeeping force around Kabul, 65 by 25km, to set up Provincial Reconstruction Teams in all the major provinces. They're mainly military but they include civilian elements for humanitarian work in reconstruction. That will happen."

He pointed out that Afghanistan needed the support of both India and Pakistan as it rebuilds itself. Asked if Nato had approached India or Pakistan for troops to serve in Afghanistan, Mr Burns replied: "I don't believe we have approached India or Pakistan to send troops to the Nato mission. It's certainly up to those two governments to define their relationship with the Nato mission and what they want to do in the future. What we certainly want is good relations with both India and Pakistan. Both countries are very important, critical to the future of the region and to Afghanistan."