Vision for deeper NATO–Saudi Arabia cooperation set in historic first visit to Riyadh

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg meets with Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al Khuraiji

RIYADH: Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg set out his vision for deeper cooperation between NATO and Saudi Arabia in an historic visit to Riyadh – the first ever by a sitting Secretary General of NATO.

In a public discussion at the Saudi Armed Forces Command and Staff College December 13, Stoltenberg underlined Saudi Arabia’s leading role in the Arab and Muslim world, and identified areas where the Alliance and the Kingdom could do more together – including on maritime security, the protection of critical infrastructure, and the fight against terrorism, as well as innovation and military education.

“I believe there is huge potential for NATO to do more with Saudi Arabia because we have mutual challenges,” said the Secretary General, pointing to issues including destabilizing influences in the region, as well as climate change.

The Secretary General recently appointed a group of external experts to review NATO’s approach to the Gulf, the Middle East, and Africa, calling this an opportunity to explore new avenues of cooperation.

On Tuesday, Stoltenberg met with Saudi Arabia Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al khereiji and underlining his desire to strengthen ties between NATO and the Kingdom.

The talks covered regional and international issues of mutual interest, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The Secretary General also held talks with the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Mohamed Al Budaiwi. “Dialogue with our partners is deeply important to NATO, and we value our relationship with the GCC,” he said.

“Our relationship with the #GCC,” he said in the tweet.

The GCC, founded in 1981, comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is arguably the most effective regional cooperation organization in the Arab world.

Four of the six GCC countries have joined the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) launched by NATO in 2004 to “contribute to long-term global and regional security by offering GCC countries practical bilateral security cooperation with NATO.”

Kuwait joined the ICI in December 2004, followed by Bahrain and Qatar in February 2005 and the UAE in June 2005.

In 2017, NATO opened its first ICI Regional Centre in Kuwait during a high-profile ceremony attended by Stoltenberg.

During his visit to Riyadh, Stoltenberg discussed at the headquarters of Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) industrial production and potential future avenues for cooperation with Chief Executive Officer Walid Abukhaled.

Later in the day, he exchanged views with a group of policy makers, think tank experts and media in a meeting hosted by Dr Abdulaziz Sager, Chairman of the Gulf Research Centre.