NATO has launched a new set of “flagship projects” with Gulf partners Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates during a summit of Allied leaders in Ankara this week.
Allied Foreign Ministers met counterparts from the four Gulf countries to review relations and discuss issues including the regional security situation, NATO announced on Friday.
Allies reaffirmed solidarity with the Gulf partners and “strongly condemned Iran’s indiscriminate attacks across the region.”
New projects focus on drones, maritime security and CBRN threats
The new projects will cover maritime security, countering uncrewed aerial systems — commonly known as drones — defence against Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) threats, and countering terrorism, NATO said.
The projects build on cooperation under the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI), a NATO framework launched in 2004 to work with partner countries in the Gulf region.
The initiatives will be implemented in close consultation with the ICI partners.
