Military

DATE=10/12/01

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-281718

TITLE=E-U / DEFENSE MINISTERS (L-O)

BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON

DATELINE=BRUSSELS

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: European Union (E-U) defense ministers say their countries are ready, willing and able to replace any United States troops that might be re-deployed from peacekeeping missions in the Balkans and assigned to anti-terrorist operations. V-O-A correspondent Roger Wilkison reports the ministers, meeting in Brussels today/Friday, agreed the 15-nation bloc must accelerate the development of its own rapid reaction force that is currently scheduled to become operational in two years' time.

TEXT: The E-U defense ministers say their countries are prepared to fill in the gaps if a U-S reassignment of troops from Bosnia or Kosovo to anti-terrorist operations were to create a security vacuum in the Balkans.

Speaking to reporters through an interpreter, the E-U's foreign and security policy chief, Javier Solana, said the bloc is ready to assume more peacekeeping responsibilities on shorter notice if international events so dictate.

/////SOLANA INTERPRETER ACTUALITY/////

Europe's contribution now in Bosnia and Kosovo is very significant. So, if the time comes for us to step up our level of responsibility, we'll do that. If the need arises, I'm sure we would be able to step in if the Americans have to move out.

/////END ACTUALITY/////

One-quarter of the 20-thousand peacekeeping troops in Bosnia are Americans. And out of the 45-thousand peacekeepers in Kosovo, a little over three-thousand are U-S soldiers.

U-S officials have assured NATO that Washington has no immediate plans to pull troops out of the Balkans.

The E-U defense ministers' meeting focused on the consequences for the bloc's own military plans of last month's terrorist attacks on the United States, and this week's U-S-led strikes against terrorist-related targets in Afghanistan.

Those events have spurred the E-U to hasten its preparations for the 60-thousand-man rapid reaction force that is due to come on line by the year 2003.

The force would take on peacekeeping and humanitarian missions in which NATO does not want to get involved. Mr. Solana wants the E-U to have an initial operating capability by the end of this year. But those plans have been hampered by some countries' failure to increase their defense spending and commit enough equipment to the E-U force. (Signed)

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