Bahrain, NATO discuss IPCP partnership

Brussels, June 2 (BNA): In recognition by the Kingdom of Bahrain of the role played by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in facing the current regional security challenges, and in order to achieve common interests and enhance defense and security cooperation between the countries to counter the regional challenges, a meeting was held between NATO member-states and the Kingdom of Bahrain in the Belgian capital Brussels yesterday. The meeting discussed the individual partnership and cooperation programme (IPCP) between the Kingdom of Bahrain and NATO. NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, James Appathurai, headed the NATO delegation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for International Affairs, Dr Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, headed the Kingdom of Bahrain’s side. The meeting reviewed the programmes introduced by the committee of cooperation and partnership of IPCP with NATO for the years 2016 -2018. The Undersecretary presented the IPCP between the Kingdom of Bahrain and NATO, which aims at promoting the partnership between the two sides in a number of political, security and military domains. He pointed out that the IPCP will focus on three key areas, including the political and diplomatic cooperation, exchange of experiences in the areas of defence and security, and cooperation to address arising civil and security threats. Dr Shaikh Abdullah expressed Bahrain's commitment to expanding and deepening its relation with NATO in the framework of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, which the Kingdom joined in 2004. He commended the significant role paled by NATO in keeping the international peace and security, as well as underlined the cooperation between the Kingdom and NATO in the fight against terrorism, piracy and disasters management. He stressed that Bahrain accession to the individual partnership and cooperation program (IPCP) will enhance dialogue and set the effective and efficient mechanisms of mutual cooperation. NATO's Istanbul Cooperation Initiative was launched at the Alliance's Summit in the Turkish city on 28 -29 June 2004 to affirm the strategic partnership between a number of GCC States and NATO for cooperation and coordination to countermeasure the 21st century security threats. It aims to contribute to strengthening bilateral security cooperation between NATO and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative member-states with respect to the security issues that concern the region.