The summit meetings of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and heads of state and government of partner countries opened here on Monday in Turkey's largest city of Istanbul.

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer declared the conference open at 9.30 am (0630 GMT) and welcomed heads of state and government from the 26 members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

"The 26 nations are now determined to defend our values and to pass them on to future generations," he said.

"The allies are also now joined in a commitment to defend each other's security and territorial integrity," he added.

"Our decisions here today will give further shape and substance to the new NATO and ensure that it can play its new roles to the full," said the NATO chief.

The secretary general also praised NATO's bridging role throughout its 55-year history and noted further that "we will enhance our partnership with countries across Europe and into

Central Asia. And we will build new bridges to the Mediterranean and the Middle East."

The Istanbul Summit is the 17th summit meeting of NATO and is also the first one since NATO's enlargement from 19 to 26 members in March this year.

Representatives of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania,Slovakia and Slovenia, which newly joined the Alliance, attended for the first time a NATO meeting.

Fight against terrorism, stability in the Balkans, modernization of NATO force structures, and broadening cooperation with non-NATO member partners are among the agenda topics of the summit.

The alliance is expected to announce an expansion of its presence in Afghanistan and a decision to terminate the NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Bosnia at the end of the year.

The leaders will also discuss a request from the interim Iraqi government for support through training and other forms of technical assistance.