Thursday's meeting was above all to decide on a proposal to bolster Nato's presence in Eastern Europe, in response to Russia's "behaviour" in the region, but the Portuguese minister welcomed what he said was the reaffirmation that threats from the south were being given the same attention, in view of a spike in extremism in the Middle East and North Africa.


"This was the first meeting after the Wales summit [in September]," he told journalists. "We had the opportunity to review the conclusions of the summit, to consolidate the logic of the threat both from the east and from the south having the same capacity of response on the part of the alliance, and also the form of realising it, with measures and faster intervention forces, of which Portugal will also form a part."


The details of Portugal's future contribution were still to be worked out, he said.


Portugal is "an active partner" in all exercises but "the military dimension" of the problem "is still being studied". Once a conclusion on what is needed is reached, he said, more information will be released.