German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday backed calls to revamp NATO's security structure and urged strong ties with Russia, AP reported. Merkel underlined the need for the reforms in a parliamentary address before the alliance's 60th anniversary summit April 3-4 in France and Germany. «NATO needs to adapt its strategy to meet new challenges,» Merkel said. The summit will welcome Albania and Croatia into the alliance and formally restore relations with Moscow that were cut during Russia's war with Georgia last August. While the chancellor underlined the importance of the alliance remaining open to «willing» democracies in Europe _ specifically saying Georgia and Ukraine should retain the potential to join _ she said that she saw no need for a «global NATO.» Merkel underlined the need for strong relations between NATO and Russia, saying «the days of the Cold War are irretrievably gone,» but insisted the relationship must be based on mutual trust and cooperation.
