Jon Smith
Gordon Brown flew to Bucharest yesterday for Nato's biggest summit, calling on allies to "step up to the plate" in providing troops and resources for Afghanistan.

The Prime Minister was braced for rows over boosting forces in the war-torn country and the alliance's expansion to the east.

He headed straight for informal talks with US President George Bush and United Nations Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon, before attending a working dinner with all his fellow leaders last night.

Mr Brown and President Bush will lead calls for more of the 26 Nato members to commit fighting troops or extra resources to the battle against the Taliban.

The Prime Minister told reporters travelling with him: "What I want is the process of burden-sharing to be more effective over the next period of time.

"We also believe there could be a greater burden-sharing with countries providing equipment even where this equipment will be used by the forces of other countries.

"We are setting up a Helicopter Trust Fund to enable countries to re-equip their helicopters, to get them ready for Afghanistan and train the pilots to use them."

Mr Brown added: "This is about people coming up to the plate."

Mr Brown will also seek clarification from French President Nicolas Sarkozy of his promise of 1000 extra soldiers, provided certain conditions are met.

President Bush echoed the call for greater help from members. "We expect our Nato allies to shoulder the burden necessary to succeed," he said of the Afghan mission.

Headway was made last night over decisions to expand the organisation, with Nato leaders agreeing to invite the Balkan states of Croatia and Albania to join the alliance. However, an invitation to Macedonia was postponed at Greek insistence, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said.

"For the moment, Greece is not in a position to agree to the entry of Macedonia and it will be Croatia and Albania first," Moratinos said after a summit dinner.

Greece had said it would veto the former Yugoslav republic's entry until a dispute over the use of the name Macedonia, shared with the most northerly Greek province, is resolved.

However, a row both within the alliance and with Russia is looming over former Soviet satellites Ukraine and Georgia bidding to take the first steps towards joining Nato with a formal Membership Applicant Plan.

President Bush is a staunch supporter of the states becoming members, and repeated his commitment on a visit to Kiev en route to the Romanian capital.

He said the West should reward democratic revolutions in Ukraine and Georgia by giving both the prospect of joining Nato. "My country's position is clear - Nato should welcome Georgia and Ukraine into the Membership Action Plan," he said. However, both France and Germany are against further expansion into what was once Russia's exclusive sphere of influence, and outgoing president, Vladimir Putin, is vehemently opposed to the move.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel reaffirmed on arriving in Bucharest that both countries should have a long-term prospect of membership, "but there is one difference with the United States: we believe the time for Map is not ripe".

Mr Brown supports the two states' bid for Map status but his spokesman said the UK would want to discuss the exact timing with allies.

The gathering is Nato's biggest since its formation in 1949, with some 3000 delegates attending.-PA