RIYADH (Reuters) - NATO appealed to Saudi Arabia on Sunday to consider entering a cooperation agreement with the Western alliance, citing shared interest in stopping weapons proliferation in an apparent reference to Iran.
"I do want to stress here today that NATO would very much value the participation of Saudi Arabia," NATO Deputy Secretary-General Alessandro Minuto Rizzo said at a meeting with Gulf Arab states in the Saudi capital.
He was referring to the Istanbul Initiative of 2004, when the 26-nation alliance launched a drive to establish closer links with Middle East and North African countries.
The initiative received a cool response at the time because it was seen in the framework of the U.S. administration's drive to spread democratic reforms in the region after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 toppled Saddam Hussein.
But Washington's allies in the Arab world, particularly in the Gulf, are now worried about the influence of Shi'ite Iran in Iraq and elsewhere in the predominantly Sunni Muslim region.
The United States accuses Tehran of seeking to set up a covert nuclear weapons programme, a fear shared by Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter and key U.S. ally. Iran denies this saying its nuclear programme aims to generate power.
Saudi Arabia fears that U.S. troops will leave Iraq prematurely, allowing Iran to consolidate its influence and leaving Sunni Arabs at the mercy of Shi'ite militias, analysts say.
"We share a number of common challenges -- how to curb the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, how to counter extremism ... how to deal with the destabilising effects of failed states," Rizzo said.
A number of Arab countries have warmed to the initiative, which offers NATO expertise and help in defence planning, border control and combating militant groups, as well as participation in military exercises.
"I believe it will be in the interests of Saudi Arabia to exploit this potential," Rizzo said.
Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have joined the initiative. But analysts say Saudi Arabia, which is boosting its military to counter a perceived threat from Iran, is concerned over what NATO would want in return.
Islamic militants linked to al Qaeda behind a wave of violence to topple the Saudi royal family have cited the presence of U.S. troops in the kingdom from 1990 to 2003 as one reason for their campaign.
<http://www.kuna.net.kw/home/story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=944534> Saudi Arabia underscores in-depth cooperation with the NATO POL-GCC-NATO Saudi Arabia underscores in-depth cooperation with the NATO
RIYADH, Jan 21 (KUNA) -- Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal inaugurated here on Sunday a seminar entitled "NATO-GCC Cooperation Within the Framework of Istanbul Initiative" praising the approach of the regional states to broaden cooperation with the Western alliance.
In an address at the inaugural session, Prince Saud said the Middle East is one of the regions in the world that is characterized by turmoil. He called for effective international cooperation to bring about stability in the region, according to official Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Prince Saud noted that the extremist ideology grows in the atmosphere of disappointment, caused by the failure of the international community in settling the pending chronic problems.
"The kingdom of Saudi Arabia believes in the importance of fighting terrorism and extremism and spreading the values of tolerance and moderation as well as combating racial ideologies," he said.
Prince Saud pointed out that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, had earlier called for the convening of the extraordinary Makkah Summit which slammed terrorism and extremism and advocated moderation and dialogue as well as urged for confronting the phenomenon of "Islam-phobia." He noted that King abdullah has called for establishing an international center for combating terrorism under supervision of the United Nations.
Prince Saud said the kingdom has been following up with great concern on the current developments following the end of the era of the Cold War.
He noted that the NATO has formulated the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative which includes some of the GCC member states.
Prince Saud underscored the importance of exchange of data and expertise in combating terrorism as well as prevention of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
"However, any cooperation should be based on the respect of sovereignty and peculiarities of the countries as well as their political options," he noted Underlining importance of the seminar, Prince Saud said it will provide a good opportunity to exchange views clearly on issues of mutual interest.
The participants of the seminar will review a number of topics including the role of NATO after the era of the Cold War; the regional problems as well as means of promoting the Istanbul Initiative.
The inaugural session was attended by a number of dignitaries and senior officials.
The seminar is organized by the Institute of Diplomatic Studies in cooperation with the Dubai-based Gulf Center for Studies.(end) ud. rk -- Yoshie <http://montages.blogspot.com/> <http://mrzine.org> <http://monthlyreview.org/>