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Doha Time &
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at the special session on the achievements of Istanbul Co-operation Initiative
2010-02-08 |
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Nato sees ‘key role’ for Qatar
Nato’s deputy secretary general applauds the contributions made by Qatar and other Gulf states to the Istanbul Initiative
By Ramesh Mathew
Staff Reporter
Qatar and other GCC countries have a leading role to play, along with Nato, in dealing with burning issues like Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran’s nuclear programme, a top official of the military alliance said in Doha yesterday.
Nato deputy secretary general Claudio Bisogniero said that “each of these issues has a bearing on the peace and security of the Middle East” and they have to be solved through “political dialogue and practical co-operation”.
Delivering the inaugural address at the special session on the achievements of Istanbul Co-operation Initiative, held under the joint auspices of Nato and Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he said that steps should be taken to ensure that Yemen and Somalia would not slip into similar anarchy, chaos and disorder.
The issues of this region’s security in the wake of Iran’s ongoing nuclear programme raised concern not only to the Gulf states but also to the
whole world, said Bisogniero.
“Issues of energy security and piracy on the seas are too crucial and cannot be overlooked by the member countries,” he pointed out.
Recalling that more than five years of the extensive co-operation among the 28 member countries after the maiden initiative in Istanbul in October 2004 had resulted in bettering relations among the member countries and their allies, the Nato official cautioned that resting on one’s laurels could spell danger to the interests of mankind.
Applauding the contributions made by Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE to the Istanbul Initiative, Bisogniero recalled that considerable progress could be achieved in bilateral practical co-operation, political dialogue and individual programmes since 2005.
“(But) there is still more scope for introducing programmes in countering terrorism, better military training, intensifying maritime co-operation and measures to highlight energy security...”
The Nato official felt the 12-member group would prepare a policy document on its future activities before the next meeting to be held in November 2010. The group would highlight the necessity of building partnerships and formulating strategies for a common security programme for member countries, he said.
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