Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said here Sunday that Iraq should build its capacity to provide security in the country as soon as possible.

In a statement issued immediately after Iraq's general elections, the NATO chief said:" They must also develop, as quickly as possible, the capacity to provide for their own security. The international community must do its full part to help."

"NATO has already begun, by responding to the Iraqi request to train and equip Iraqi security forces, and the alliance will increase that support in the coming months," he said.

On the general elections in Iraq, he said that millions of Iraqis demonstrated their determination to participate in buildinga new, democratic Iraq by casting their ballots Sunday.

These elections should "lay the foundation for a brighter future for the country", a future of increasing peace and security,as a full part of the international family of nations.

"I congratulate those who courageously participated in the democratic process, and condemn those who committed acts of violence in an attempt to derail it," he said.

He hailed the general elections as "a milestone", acknowledgingat the same time that there is still a long road ahead.