From Xinhua:  NATO would not seek to become a global security organization and its focus will remain in the traditional Euro-Atlantic region, NATO Parliamentary Assembly President Hugh Barley (sic) said on Friday.

"I don’t see a prospect that NATO will seek to become a global security alliance. We are a mutual security pact amongst North America and European countries and the focus of NATO’s interests will remain in the Euro-Atlantic area," Barley told reporters as the four-day spring session of NATO Parliamentary Assembly kicked off here.

He said that the session would discuss a draft report on the security challenges in the Asia-Pacific region because the United States and Canada, two NATO member countries, have "extremely important interests" in the region.

"But is NATO itself going to take a direct stand on these security issues? The answer to that will be no," he said.  (photo: NATO)