Portugal may help close Guantanamo prison

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Portugal has pledged to help the United States close the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba and urged other European countries to follow suit, officials say.

In a diplomatic breakthrough, Portugal said it was willing to resettle some detainees of the internationally criticized camp, a move The New York Times said was the first sign that other countries might be willing to play a role in closing the facility.

"The time has come for the European Union to step forward," Luís Amado, Portugal's foreign minister, said in a letter to other European ministers released Thursday.

The U.S. State Department called the move "a major milestone."

Bush administration officials described the announcement as a critical step toward solving the problem, although there is no specific agreement yet on transfer of detainees.