Bahrain-NATO relations discussed

Brussels, Sept. 15 (BNA): Deputy Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Rose Gottemoeller, received at her office at the NATO headquarters here the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for International Affairs, Dr. Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa. NATO Deputy Secretary General welcomed the Undersecretary for International Affairs, and stressed the importance of exchanging high-level visits in order to enhance relations between the two sides and exchange views on the challenges facing the region. The Undersecretary expressed his pride in the evolving relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the NATO alliance, noting its development and coordination within the framework of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI), that aims to contribute to the sovereignty of regional security. He also praised the great efforts of the Alliance in the maintenance of international peace and security. The Undersecretary highlighted that the results of the first edition of the " Individual Partnership and Cooperation Programme "between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the NATO alliance for the period 2016-2018 were effective and constructive, especially in the fields of political and diplomatic cooperation, exchange of experience in the fields of defense and security, cooperation to meet emerging security challenges, the promotion of dialogue, and the development of effective mechanisms and strategies. He expressed that the Kingdom of Bahrain looks forward to the second edition of the program for the years 2018-2020, as it will be an added benefit and of vital value for security and stability in the framework of a partnership of cooperation capable of defining security priorities to combat traditional and new threats and activate areas of joint cooperation. The Undersecretary affirmed that the efforts and initiatives of the Kingdom of Bahrain under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, for reform, development, combating terrorism, its permanent bias in favor of peace and prosperity and its full adherence to international principles and conventions, is what constitutes the Kingdom of Bahrain as one of the most effective and credible partners of the alliance. He also noted that Kingdom of Bahrain recognises the importance of the comprehensive fight against the threat of terrorism, especially as there are countries that sponsor, support, finance and harbour terrorist groups and cells. The Undersecretary discussed the dangers of Iran's continued escalation of its arsenal of ballistic missiles, and its direct threat to the region and NATO, as well as the role of militias and armed networks in destabilizing regional security. He also noted the similarity of roles and objectives between the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) and NATO in terms of combating and deterring terrorist organizations, eliminating their sources of funding, as well as countering cyber terrorism. Which is in line with the Kingdom of Bahrain's call for a united international front against terrorism. The Undersecretary stressed that continuous consultations will contribute to a clearer understanding of key strategic needs, help build capacity and skills, and introduce new paths and visions to address challenges in the context of an effective and sustainable security partnership. He also highlighted the importance of using intellectual and strategic efforts to strengthen the Partnership for Peace programs in order to raise awareness about current and future challenges and develop counterterrorism capabilities through closer cooperation between the Bahrain Center for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (Derasat) and the regional center of NATO. For her part, the NATO Deputy Secretary-General expressed appreciation for the role played by the Kingdom of Bahrain in maintaining security and peace in the region, as well as the Kingdom's interest in cooperation with the NATO alliance. She also expressed her aspiration to further cooperation between the two sides in order to serve mutual interests, especially that there are many opportunities available between the Kingdom and the alliance during the coming period.