LONDON: The North Atlantic Treaty Powers announced yesterday [May 4] that they had decided to merge the now separate Councils of their Foreign, Finance and Defence Ministers to simplify the working of the organisation. The new changes include the formation of an Economic and Financial Board which will work in Paris parallel with the Council of Deputies and the Defence Production Board, both of which will continue to meet in London.

The reorganised Council, still the principal body in the North Atlantic Treaty organisation, will in future incorporate the Defence Committee and the Defence Finance and Economic Committees of the organisation’s 12 member countries. As originally established … [in] 1949, the Council was made up of Foreign Ministers. It will continue to be composed of Ministers though in an emergency the Governments may nominate other members. — News agencies

[As reported by news agencies from London,] all the Atlantic Treaty Powers have agreed to adopt certain standard components for combat vehicles, and some have agreed on a standard design for minesweepers, [the] British Defence Minister … told the House of Commons… .

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2026