Stoltenberg praises Kuwait's efforts for regional stability
BRUSSELS: A North Atlantic Council (NAC) delegation on the level of permanent representatives to NATO and led by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is set to visit Kuwait today and tomorrow. The NATO chief and NATO Ambassadors will attend a ceremony under the patronage of His Highness Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the NATO Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI), where Stoltenberg will deliver remarks, noted a NATO press release Friday. Stoltenberg together with NATO Ambassadors will be attending a North Atlantic Council (NAC) meeting with the ICI Countries. The Gulf Cooperation Council Secretariat, Oman and Saudi Arabia will also participate, it noted. The ceremony and the NAC meeting will take place at the NATO-ICI Regional Centre in Kuwait City. ICI was launched in Istanbul in 2004 to promote long-term security cooperation between NATO and Arab Gulf countries. Currently Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and UAE are members of the ICI. Stoltenberg inaugurated the NATO-ICI Regional Centre in Kuwait in 2017.
Regional peace
Stoltenberg had lauded Kuwait's efforts to promote regional peace and security and stressed that the security of the members of the ICI is of great importance for the Alliance. In an exclusive interview ahead of his visit to Kuwait, he noted that Kuwait was chosen as the venue for the major event because it hosts the NATO-ICI Regional Centre. He said this center "has played a very important role in furthering our cooperation with the Gulf Countries-Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates-through the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative."
"I was proud to open the NATO-ICI Regional Centre in 2017; and I welcome the opportunity to go back to Kuwait very soon, together with all NATO Ambassadors represented at the North Atlantic Council, at such a historical juncture in the evolution of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative," said the NATO chief. "I welcome Kuwait's long-standing efforts to contribute to regional stability, including through the NATO Istanbul Cooperation Initiative," he underlined.
"The security of our ICI partners is of strategic importance to NATO. Through the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, we have a unique platform where we discuss security issues of common concern," said Stoltenberg. "Over the years, we have increased the quantity and the quality of our cooperation; and our NATO-ICI Regional Centre in Kuwait has helped NATO's outreach to the Gulf Cooperation Council, Saudi Arabia and Oman. It is the sovereign prerogative of these countries, ultimately, to decide how they want to move this process forward," he added.
"We can be proud of the past 15 years of partnership under the framework of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative. We have conducted a wide range of practical activities, from military training and education, to crisis management, and dealing with natural and man-made disasters," he said. All the four Gulf partners in the ICI have Individual Partnership Cooperation Program with NATO, he noted. Under these agreements, a wide range of activities has taken place, including on energy and maritime security, cyber defense, and civil emergency planning, he stated. He said that ICI countries have taken part in many of NATO operations and missions, including in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Libya.
"Our upcoming visit will be an opportunity to take stock of the achievements made and to discuss our common way forward with our partners to make our partnership even more efficient," indicated Stoltenberg. The NATO-ICI Centre in Kuwait has welcomed more than 1,000 officers and experts from NATO and the Gulf there, for joint training, cooperation and capacity building, he noted. "We are also working together to develop national expertise and resilience on crisis management, cyber security, energy security, maritime security, and defense against Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear threats," he said.
"Our NATO-ICI Regional Centre in Kuwait offers us the possibility to step up our cooperation in a number of areas, including interoperability, which enhances our ability to work together to manage future crises through joint training," said Stoltenberg, a former Prime Minister of Norway. "We also continue - through our NATO Mission in Iraq - to strengthen the Iraqi military in their fight against international terrorism, to ensure that Daesh (so-called Islamic State) can never return," he stated. "Furthermore, we believe that as a regional organization, the Gulf Cooperation Council is playing a key role in dealing with the crises affecting the security of its members. A leading principle of our cooperation is non-discrimination of any of our partners. We all have an interest in a unified Gulf Cooperation Council," added the NATO Secretary General. He said NATO is follow developments in the region very closely.
"With instability in the Middle East and North Africa, NATO's partnerships are more valuable than ever. At our leaders' meeting in London on December third and fourth, we reaffirmed that NATO is a defensive Alliance and poses no threat to any country. We work to increase security for all," he stressed. "As a multilateral organization, we have strengthened partnerships in our neighborhood and beyond, and we have deepened political dialogue, support, and engagement with partner countries and international organizations. Over the years, we have increased our consultations on security issues of common concern; and on the practical side, our partners have engaged in more focused cooperation activities," he concluded. ICI was lunched in Istanbul in 2004 to promote long-term security cooperation between NATO and Arab Gulf countries. Currently Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and UAE are members of the ICI. - KUNA