Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma listens at a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission in Istanbul, Turkey, June 29, 2004. (Xinhua photo)

Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma addresses a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission in Istanbul, Turkey, June 29, 2004. (Xinhua photo)

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer addresses a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission in Istanbul, Turkey, June 29, 2004. (Xinhua photo)

Afghan President Hamid Karzai (L Front) addresses a session of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council in Istanbul, Turkey, June 29, 2004. Karzai called on NATO to send more troops to his country to bolster security for the September elections. (Xinhua photo)

Afghan President Hamid Karzai (L Front) addresses a session of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council in Istanbul, Turkey, June 29, 2004. Karzai called on NATO to send more troops to his country to bolster security for the September elections. (Xinhua photo)

Portuguese Foreign Minister Teresa Gouveia listens at the meeting between NATO and Russia in Istanbul, Turkey, June 28, 2004. The relationship between NATO and Russia was one of the key issues of the two-day NATO summit, opened in Istanbul June 28. (Xinhua photo)

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer presides over the meeting between NATO and Russia in Istanbul, Turkey, June 28, 2004. The relationship between NATO and Russia was one of the key issues of the two-day NATO summit, opened in Istanbul June 28. (Xinhua photo)

United States Secretary of State Colin Powell (R Front) talks with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw at the meeting between NATO and Russia in Istanbul, Turkey, June 28, 2004. The relationship between NATO and Russia was one of the key issues of the two-day NATO summit, opened in Istanbul June 28. (Xinhua photo)

United States Secretary of State Colin Powell attends the meeting between NATO and Russia in Istanbul, Turkey, June 28, 2004. The relationship between NATO and Russia was one of the key issues of the two-day NATO summit, opened in Istanbul June 28. (Xinhua photo)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (L) talks with Romanian Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana prior to a meeting between Russia and NATO in Istanbul, Turkey, June 28, 2004. The relationship between NATO and Russia was one of the key issues of the two-day NATO summit, opened in Istanbul June 28. (Xinhua photo)

    ISTANBUL, June 29 (Xinhuanet) -- The 17th summit of the heads of state and government of the 26-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization wrapped up here Tuesday, with wide range of issues having been discussed and debated during the two-day meetings.

    The summit was attended by US President George W. Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blare, French President Jacques Chirac and heads of state and government from more than 40 other countries.

    Although the summit was supposed to mainly discuss expanding the alliance's role in Afghanistan before the country's scheduled presidential elections in September, Iraq issue actually topped the agenda of the summit.

    The news of a surprise handover of power from the US-led coalition forces to the Iraqis, two days earlier than expected, stole the show of the first day of the summit.

    Leaders of NATO countries welcomed the sovereignty handover and agreed on Monday to assist the Iraqi government in training its security forces and offered cooperation to the broader Middle East region.

    However, the decision was far below the expectation of US President Bush, who had hoped that NATO would take command of a multinational stabilization force in central Iraq.

    On Afghanistan issue, NATO agreed on Monday to dispatch extra troops to the country to ensure the security of the presidential elections in September.

    At a joint press conference with Afghan interim President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Jaap De Hoop Scheffer said additional troops would be deployed in Afghanistan within six to eight weeks.

    He hoped that NATO, UN, EU and all the donor countries should act in coordination during the election process.

    The Afghan president welcomed NATO's decision to send more troops to his country and said it should help his government hold elections in September as planned.

    On the first day of the summit, NATO leaders also agreed to conclude the alliance's nine-year mission in Bosnia-Hercegovina by the end of the year and let the European Union to take over the mission.

    However, NATO will maintain a presence in Bosnia to help the country with defense reforms, fighting terrorism and hunting for war crimes suspects.

    NATO, who intents to be more effective in Central Asia and the Caucasus, agreed to boost cooperation with countries in the region on the second day of the summit.

    It approved a document to reflect its will of strengthening cooperation with the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council.

    The council, the political consultation and cooperation organ of NATO, consists of 20 partnership countries with the Alliance.

    The NATO chief said the allies must do everything possible to build bridges of trust and dialogue between strategically important regions of the world.

    On that issue, the leaders of NATO nations vowed on Monday to offer cooperation to the broader Middle East region by launching an "Istanbul Cooperation Initiative."

    The initiative is offered by NATO to interested countries in theregion, starting with the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, to foster mutually beneficial bilateral relationships and thus enhance security and stability, the leaders said in a communique.

    Meanwhile, the leaders said NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue, initiated in 1994, has greatly contributed to building confidence and cooperation between the alliance and its Mediterranean partners.

    Currently, there are seven Mediterranean Dialogue participants, including Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, Israel and Mauritania.

    Also at the summit, the heads of state and government of NATO nations decided to reinforce the NATO supervision units in the Mediterranean.

    The leaders decided to "increase allied countries' contribution to operation Active Endeavor," and they also gave the green light to a positive response to proposals for the participation of Russia and Ukraine in those operations.

    During the two-day summit, clashes erupted between anti-NATO protestors and anti-riot police. About 47 people were injured, including some Turkish officers.

    A series of bombs and explosions were also reported in both the capital city of Ankara and Istanbul before and during the summit. Four people were killed and more than 20 wounded in the incidents. Enditem (by Gao Li, Feng Jian and Zheng Jinfa)