BRATISLAVA: NATO vowed Saturday to make its command slimmer yet effective as its military chiefs met in Slovakia to discuss modernising the alliance.

NATO Military Committee head Giampaolo Di Paola said the new command would be flexible, slimmer but effective, and said he could not give details as the outcome of the meeting must be approved by the alliance`s 28 member states.

Many members states are eyeing budget cuts. Governments are facing a difficult choice and NATO has to acknowledge that, Di Paola told reporters.

The military chiefs also discussed the situation in Afghanistan, which held a parliamentary vote on Saturday.

The meeting comes ahead of the alliance`s summit in Lisbon on November 19-20.

The Military Committee discussed the alliance`s new strategic concept, a document to be adopted in Lisbon on the new threats NATO faces -- cyber attacks, missiles and terrorism that will replace the current one from 1999.

"We discussed the new strategic concept in detail... but don`t expect any specific outcomes. This conference was aimed at sharing opinions and looking for compromises that will be further discussed," Slovak Military Chief Lubomir Bulik said.

BDST: 0853 HRS, September 19, 2010