BRUSSELS, Feb 7 (AFP) - NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said Monday that the military alliance could play a role in implementing an eventual peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians, although only if both sides agreed.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which is in the process of forging closer ties with Mideast countries as part of its transformed role after the Cold War, could, for example, monitor a peace agreement, he said.
"It's not unthinkable," he said, but added that there were at least two "big Ifs": firstly that a peace deal is struck, and secondly that both sides agree to ask NATO to play a role.
"If those 'Ifs' would be fulfilled and parties were to come to NATO and say 'could you help in monitoring or guaranteeing such an agreement?' this would lead to a discussion" among NATO governments, he told reporters.
"I do not exclude anything," he added.
His comments came a day before a historic meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and new Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas, amid growing hopes of a full-blown relaunch of the long-stalled Middle East peace process.
NATO aides meanwhile said that De Hoop Scheffer plans to visit Israel towards the end of this month, as part of a growing dialogue with countries in the region. An exact date has not yet been fixed.
NATO has forged closer ties in the Middle East as part of a transformation -- accelerated by the September 11, 2001 attacks -- which has seen it launch missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, well outside its Cold War-era theatre of operations.
02/07/2005 13:36 GMT - AFP