Strasbourg, France - NATO leaders meeting in Strasbourg on Saturday resolved a potentially embarrassing rift by picking Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen as the alliance's new secretary general, outgoing NATO head Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said.
"Every state and government believed that Anders Fogh Rasmussen was the man to lead NATO and the 28 members through the 21st century," said de Hoop Scheffer, who is to step down on July 31.
Turkish opposition to Rasmussen had threatened to overshadow a summit celebrating the 60th anniversary of NATO's founding.
Strasbourg, France - NATO leaders agreed Saturday to restart direct talks with Russia, while simultaneously condemning the country's military build-up in Georgia's breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
"Despite our current disagreements, Russia is of particular importance to us as a partner and neighbour," NATO heads of state and government said in a summit declaration issued in Strasbourg.
Strasbourg, France - A hotel which was set on fire Saturday by anti-NATO demonstrators in Strasbourg was gutted by the flames, but had been unoccupied before it was attacked, a German news television channel, N-TV, reported.
Earlier television pictures had shown the entire ground floor of the five-storey building on fire. N-TV said the flames then spread.
N-TV said the 78-room hotel had been vacated in advance of the NATO summit which brought US President Barack Obama and other leaders to the city.
Strasbourg, France/Ankara - US President Barack Obama was instrumental in ending Turkish obstruction to the appointment of Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen as the new NATO secretary general, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday.
Erdogan told Turkish television that Obama had offered Ankara a number of guaranties, which he did not detail.
Strasbourg, France - Efforts to appoint a new NATO chief appeared doomed Saturday after Turkey refused to soften its opposition to the frontrunner, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussens, Turkish diplomats said.
Turkish officials said "no agreement" had been reached during a meeting in Strasbourg and predicted that talks on the issue would only resume after the summit in France.
US President Barack Obama and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi were among those piling pressure on Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to change their minds.
Stras
Strasbourg, France - NATO leaders meeting in Strasbourg on Saturday resolved a potentially embarrassing rift by picking Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen as the alliance's new secretary general, outgoing NATO head Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said.
Strasbourg, France - NATO leaders agreed Saturday to restart direct talks with Russia, while simultaneously condemning the country's military build-up in Georgia's breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Strasbourg, France - A hotel which was set on fire Saturday by anti-NATO demonstrators in Strasbourg was gutted by the flames, but had been unoccupied before it was attacked, a German news television channel, N-TV, reported.
Strasbourg, France/Ankara - US President Barack Obama was instrumental in ending Turkish obstruction to the appointment of Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen as the new NATO secretary general, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday.
Strasbourg, France - Efforts to appoint a new NATO chief appeared doomed Saturday after Turkey refused to soften its opposition to the frontrunner, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussens, Turkish diplomats said.
