US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has expressed concern about an emerging plan to enhance the European Union's defence capabilities by saying he sees no reason for an effort that competes with NATO.
Arriving in Brussels for a meeting of NATO defence ministers, Mr Rumsfeld also suggested NATO could assume an even larger role in Afghanistan.
"I certainly think that NATO has a fabulous record over most of my adult lifetime of contributing to defence and deterrence and a more peaceful world," Mr Rumsfeld said.
"Therefore I would say anything that puts at risk that institution . . . you'd have to have a very good reason for wanting to do it. And I think there's no reason for something else to be competitive with NATO, myself."
Mr Rumsfeld was commenting on an idea by France, Germany and Britain to enhance the EU's defence capabilities and discussed by EU foreign ministers meeting in Naples, Italy, over the weekend. Details of the plan were expected to be completed within weeks.
Mr Rumsfeld said countries benefiting from NATO's existence do not "want something that would inject an instability into it".
On the subject of Afghanistan, Rumsfeld said providing NATO with needed additional capabilities to expand its activities outside Kabul would be discussed at this week's NATO meetings.
NATO has commanded the 57,000-strong International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan since August and plans to extend its influence beyond Kabul by taking so-called Provisional Reconstruction Teams under its wing.