Defense chief: Europe must boost NATO defense

European countries must shoulder more of the political and economic responsibility for NATO's common defense to ensure the continued relevance of the alliance in coming years, Norwegian Defense Minister Ine Eriksen Soreide said on Thursday.

Soreide, who met with an number of US lawmakers this week and is due to meet with US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Friday, said the United States could not be expected to continue paying for over 70 percent of NATO's defense needs.

"European allies need to step up to the plate, take a bigger part of the political and economic burdens," Soreide told Reuters in an interview after a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.

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