It Is In Common Interest Of NATO And Arab States To Deepen Relations

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg recently made an important visit to Saudi Arabia. This was the first such visit by a sitting secretary-general and will hopefully serve as the starting point for closer NATO-Arab relations in the coming years. During his stop, Stoltenberg met with Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and GCC Secretary-General Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi, in addition to other senior officials. He also delivered remarks at the Saudi Armed Forces Command and Staff College. The Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, which started in 2004, currently forms the basis of NATO’s relations with Arab states. Although all six members of…