NATO leaders gather for crucial summit

Leaders of the 28-member NATO are to begin a summit later Sunday with the main aim to make the Alliance capable of tackling the challenges of the future. "We're gathering here in Chicago for a crucial summit at a crucial time. We will take decisions important for the security of North America and Europe, and for the future of our Alliance," NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told the press ahead of the meeting. The Summit will take crucial decisions on the NATO-led ISAF mission in Afghanistan, military capabilities and NATO's relationship with its global partners. "Our summit has three key priorities. Keeping Afghanistan secure now and in the years to come. Keeping NATO strong and capable in the 21st century. And keeping our global network of partners solid," Rasmussen said. The first session of the Summit today is to focus on the question of how to maintain and improve defence and security capabilities through difficult economic times. "Today, we will focus on security in an age of austerity. We will ensure that the Alliance has the capabilities to deal with the security challenges of the future, even as we tackle the economic challenges of the present," said the NATO chief. Tomorrow Monday, NATO leaders will be joined by the heads of state and government of the countries who contribute to the ISAF mission in Afghanistan, together with key partners and regional states such as Japan, Russia, Pakistan and the countries of Central Asia. "Tomorrow, we will shape the next stage in our engagement with Afghanistan. We will complete transition of security responsibility to the Afghans by the end of 2014, but we will continue to support them for the long-term," said Rasmussen. The Summit will bring together NATO nations and partners from around the world - from western Europe to East Asia, and from the South Pacific to North Africa. This will make it the biggest NATO Summit in history, with almost 60 countries and organisations represented. "Today's security challenges are global and they need global solutions. That is why NATO will continue to cooperate with partners from right round the world. We will build on our successes - so that we can provide more security for NATO, for our partners, and for the world," the Secretary General said. Over 2,000 journalists from around the world are in Chicago to cover the NATO summit.