Brussels, 20/09/2002 (Agence Europe) - The member countries of the Atlantic Alliance have called on the military authorities of NATO to examine "the implications of a possible extension of Mission "Amber Fox in Macedonia beyond 26 October, should the authorities in Skopje so request." The European Union was to have taken over this mission (currently lead by the Netherlands), but will be unable to do so in the immediate future due to the persistence of the "Greek-Turkish" problem that is preventing the conclusion of an EU-NATO agreement on access by the Europeans to Alliance assets, agreement that is a precondition for the EU to launch the first operation of this type.
Furthermore, some European countries are even questioning the consequences on the future EU rapid reaction force of the idea of the creation of a "Response Force", or an Atlantic Alliance rapid reaction force that American Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is to explain at the informal meeting of NATO defence ministers, in Warsaw on 24 and 25 September. According to experts, the force that Washington is envisaging creating would be intended for combat missions in tougher conflicts, whereas that of the EU is designed for "lighter" missions (peacekeeping or conflict prevention).