Defense Minister Spilios Spiliotopoulos attended the European Union's conference for defense ministers here on Monday and referred to the military potential the EU must develop to handle and prevent crises. 

  The defense minister said with the new strategic environment being shaped the EU's general military prospects are being determined as of now and until 2010. 
  Spiliotopoulos said that to this end small flexible military units composed of 1,500 people will be organized which will be in a position to take action to handle or prevent crises in a short period of time. 

  Spiliotopoulos added that when and how these forces will be used in confronting terrorism is a matter for political discussion. He further said the EU is organizing its own rapid reaction forces which act as a supplement for NATO forces and stressed that the terrorist attack in Madrid has spectacularly speeded up procedures regarding the confrontation of international terrorism. 

Source: Athens News Agency

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