Bahrain to Forge Closer Ties with NATO

MANAMA, Bahrain, April 19, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Kingdom of Bahrain and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have agreed to boost cooperation and expand relations to serve common interests and reinforce peace and stability in the region.

Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) Commander-in-Chief Field Marshall Shaikh Khalifa Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa and Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (DSACT), Polish General Mieczyslaw Bieniek, stressed the significance of Bahrain's military coordination and reviewed issues of common interest.

At the meeting, the NATO delegation was briefed on the BDF's participation and role in international missions contributing to global security and peace.

Bahrain has been a major non-NATO ally since 2002, and has often expressed an interest in forming closer ties with the military alliance.

Bahrain and fellow Gulf Cooperation Council countries have been pushing for closer ties with NATO since 2004 when the alliance launched the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI). The ICI was launched to contribute to long-term regional security and offered GCC countries practical bilateral security cooperation with NATO.

SOURCE Kingdom of Bahrain