Brussels, 12/12/2005 (Agence Europe) - With the adoption on 7 December in Paris of a report by Jean-Pierre Kucheida (Socialist Group, France), the WEU Assembly took a stance in favour of “closer political cooperation” between the EU and NATO, “based on genuine equality, firm partnership and abiding mutual respect”. It considers that the political and operational cooperation between the EU and NATO should go beyond the framework set by the Berlin Plus agreements of 2003 which mainly allow NATO assets to be made available to the EU. Recalling that “the European Union is a long-term political project which includes the framing of a common defence policy which might lead to a common defence”, the Assembly considers it is desirable to “draw up in consultation with NATO a defence strategy for the European Union to supplement the European Security Strategy, while preserving the EU's decision-making and operational autonomy”. The time has come to “envisage the establishment of a framework for dialogue and cooperation on security and defence between the European Union and the United States in order to deal with common threats, without prejudice to the role of NATO as a collective defence alliance among certain European States and the United States”, the Assembly concluded.