Brussels, 05/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson, and the president-in-office of the EU Political and Security Committee (COPS), Anders Bjuner, took part on Monday, in Brussels, in a first joint meeting of the North Atlantic Council (at ambassadorial and EU Committee level), in the context of the permanent consultation and cooperation arrangements between the EU and NATO. Two subjects were on the agenda: the means to be implemented to strengthen cooperation between NATO and the EU, and crisis management in practical terms, mainly in the specific case of the Balkans. We recall that the last General Affairs Council confirmed that the NATO Council and COPs will meet at least three times during each six-monthly EU Council Presidency and that there would be at least one EU/NATO ministerial meeting per Presidency (see EUROPE of 24 January, p.5).