The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will strengthen cooperation with countries in the Pacific region, a Finnish newspaper reported Tuesday, quoting a senior official of the alliance.

John Colston, NATO assistant secretary general for defense policy and planning, made the remarks during an interview with the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper on Monday.

NATO is seeking a global role for itself and has planned to broaden its scope of operation into the region, said Colston, who arrived here Monday to preside over an annual defense meeting.

He added that the alliance will cooperate closely with Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea, saying it does not mean that they should become NATO's partners of peaceful relations.

Those countries could either bring their military equipment in line with NATO standards or receive military assistance from the alliance, Colston said, adding that NATO leaders will discuss the issue at a summit meeting next fall.

The blasts on Indonesia's resort island of Bali last Saturday showed that the Pacific region, as well as the United States and European countries, is under the threat of terrorism, said the official.

NATO forces may be dispatched to the region sometime in the future to cope with the threat, although the alliance does not want to act as the "world police," he said.

Source: Xinhua