NATO PLANS TO UPGRADE COOPERATION WITH MED STATES

LONDON [MENL] -- NATO plans to upgrade military cooperation with sevenMediterranean countries, particularly in the area of counter-terrrorism. NATO officials said the upgrade would increase ties with the Middle Eaststates from what is currently termed as soft security to hard militarycooperation. The upgrade would include joint military exercisesand search-and-rescue and measures against nonconventional weapons attacks.