§ Mr. RosindellTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the NATO Secretary General about European defence. [149470]
§ Mr. HoonI had regular discussions with Lord Robertson across a wide range of issues concerning European defence and I look forward to working with the new NATO Secretary General in the same way. There have been no meetings of the NATO Defence Ministers since the beginning of the year, when Mr. de Hoop Scheffer took on his new role, but one is scheduled for early February.
In a telephone conversation on Friday 9 January 2004. I congratulated Mr. de Hoop Scheffer on his appointment and outlined some of the United Kingdom's priorities for NATO including the importance of the European nations' contribution to the Alliance and the NATO/EU relationship.