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HomeMEDIA RESOURCES2010Warsaw - 14 November 2010 - SECURITY IN THE GULF SHOULD BE HIGHER ON NATO’S POLITICAL AGENDA, U.S. CONGRESSMAN SAYS

Warsaw, 14 November 2010 - SECURITY IN THE GULF SHOULD BE HIGHER ON NATO’S POLITICAL AGENDA, U.S. CONGRESSMAN SAYS

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NATO needs to show more political engagement in the Gulf region, US Congressman Mike Ross said Sunday. A coordinated and proactive approach by the Allies is necessary to deal with the host of threats which “will not be confined to the region but will surely impact on our own security”, he said.

Those threats include the ongoing presence of terrorism groups, political instability in Iraq, Iran and Yemen, as well as the issues of nuclear proliferation, piracy, heightened security concerns, and economic uncertainty, he told the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, which brought together parliamentarians from member and observer countries for its 56th Annual Session in Warsaw, from November 12 to 16.

NATO’s impact in the region is still somewhat “limited”, and the Alliance should have a common interest in working better with its partners in the Gulf, he said, presenting his report on “Security in the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula: an agenda for NATO”. As rapporteur of the Sub-committee on Transatlantic Relations, Mr. Ross underlined that such enhanced co-operation would help to lay the foundations of a more stable and secure region.

The security situation can be improved “only if we undertake further steps to stabilize the area – also within an Alliance context”, the Arkansas Congressman said.

The report puts forward several concrete suggestions. These include promoting interoperability between the Gulf States and NATO, offering an increased set of educational and training programmes, improving the political dialogue and building confidence. 

The US Congressman also suggested upgrading the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative, which was launched in 2004 to promote practical security cooperation activities with states throughout the Greater Middle East.  The agreement could be upgraded to ministerial-level contact,he said.
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