BRUSSELS Dec. 3 (EUROPA PRESS) –
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte defended this Tuesday that NATO build strong relations with countries in Africa and the Middle East to curb Russian and Chinese influence in both regions.
In statements before the meeting of foreign ministers of the 32 allies, in which King Abdullah II of Jordan will participate for the first time as a guest of the region, the former Dutch prime minister has highlighted the need for NATO to focus on threats coming from its southern flank and build stronger relationships with countries in Africa, the Middle East and the Persian Gulf, where Russia and China have spread their tentacles.
“We have to be active, we cannot have a situation in which the Chinese and Russians are involved in Africa and other regions and the West is not. We have to build bilateral relations and help when necessary as we do with the Iraq mission,” he explained.
That is why he has valued the presence of the Jordanian king to support this line of action so that NATO cultivates relations with the region. He said that Jordan is “one of NATO’s most important partners in the Middle East” and valued the upcoming opening of a NATO liaison office in Amman, “an important step to make relations in the region even stronger.” “.
The meeting with the king of Jordan is a first step by the military organization to have the security challenges in the Southern Neighborhood more present in its agenda, a demand defended by Spain, among others.
Together with other allies, the goal was for NATO to invite the countries of the region to an upcoming ministerial meeting, following the example of the Asia-Pacific countries that have become regular participants in NATO summits. In this way, Madrid wants to push for dialogue with partners outside NATO to accelerate also in the case of Mediterranean neighbors.
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