MUNICH, Feb 4: Plans to give Nato an expanded global military role to tackle new threats including terrorism dominated discussions at an international security conference which opened in Munich on Saturday.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld strongly backed calls for stronger Nato partnerships to defuse global crisis, saying the 26-nation Alliance must forge closer links with Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea. Spotlighting a new agenda for the Alliance, Nato Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told the Munich meeting Nato must be revamped and expanded with global partnerships to tackle its key mission of fighting terrorism.

The Nato chief said huge changes had already been made to the Alliance to meet security challenges of the 21st Century. “We have begun tackling terrorism as a main mission,” he underlined.

Citing Nato’s operation in Afghanistan, Mr Scheffer said the Alliance was now projecting forces well beyond its traditional areas of operation.

He added that Nato must keep its door open to new members who were trying to meet the Alliance’s requirements. Croatia, Macedonia and Albania are seeking to join Nato while Ukraine and Georgia are also angling for membership.

A decision on the issue is expected at a Nato summit in 2008, with Alliance leaders expected to discuss expansion at their Riga, Latvia, meeting this November.

The Nato chief said cooperation with the European Union — which is developing its own military capabilities — must also be stepped up.

Referring to countries like France which want to build up EU security structures as a counterweight to the US-led Nato, Mr Scheffer said the two must cooperate rather than compete. “We have to put pragmatism above dogmatism, “ he underlined.

Nato should build a ”dense network of partnerships” to react quickly to international crises and adapt to new challenges, Merkel said, adding that while the Alliance could not do everything or “overburden” itself, it could help other regional agencies such as the African Union to build up their own capabilities.

Mr Rumsfeld said that while ”Old Nato” had been limited to the alliance’s geographic limits, “the new Nato ... recognizes challenges which threaten the world are of a global nature.”

However, voicing traditional French opposition to a stronger role for Nato, French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie told the conference the Alliance must be careful not to waste resources and energy on taking on new tasks that other agencies could do better.