US underlines its partnership with Europe

The United States sees Europe as its indispensable partner in addressing threats and challenges as well as opportunities, the US defence secretary said here Saturday.

"It's clear to us and president (Barack) Obama that our future requires a new and enhanced partnership with friends and allies, especially here in Europe," Xinhua quoted Chuck Hagel as saying at the 50th Munich Security Conference.

"The foundation of our collective security relationship with Europe has always been cooperation against common threats."

Admitting that meeting new challenges and choices will not be easy, he said: "We must do so together."

"US will engage European allies to collaborate more closely, especially in helping build the capabilities of other global partners."

In face of budget constraints, Hagel said that the question is not just "how much we spend", but "how we spend together".