He also cited heightened need for global cooperation amid fresh threats such as terrorism and energy security.

Currently, more than 4,000 French soldiers are stationed on almost 90 percent of NATO missions worldwide, including in Kosovo and Afghanistan.

Rejoining the command would allow French officers to assume key command posts.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon told Parliament Tuesday that France would "doubtless" take over a key NATO command post in Norfolk, Virginia, where the alliance's long-term strategy is discussed.

French military officials will also take over the regional command headquarters in Lisbon, the location of NATO's Rapid Reaction Force and its satellite reconnaissance system.

Meanwhile, France's return to the NATO command would help dispel concerns that its plans to build a European Union defense force would compete with NATO.

France has for years been a strong supporter of a common EU defense system, which the US fears would undermine its influence in European security.

The proposal also received lukewarm response from some EU members who worry that the plan might jeopardize NATO unity.

As French Defense Minister Herve Morin admitted, France has "a lot of trouble" in advancing European defense, as some European partners assumed that the French want to weaken NATO, an accusation Morin says was "unfounded”.

The French return to NATO command might help strengthen trust among the alliance members and offer some hope that the stalled plan of European defense could move forward, some analysts said.

Still, it remains to be seen whether France's return to NATO would serve such purposes.

As some experts pointed out, NATO was by design an unbalanced organization and was built to be US-led and US-dominated.

France has yet to reap any tangible results from its negotiations with NATO over such requests as more soldiers for the EU's own battle groups and a European defense headquarters.

More likely is a collision of interests between the NATO members after the cheerful celebration of France's return, analysts say.

(Xinhua News Agency March 18, 2009)