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NATO opens regional center in Kuwait: Stoltenberg

Xinhua, January 24, 2017 Adjust font size:

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday marked the opening of a regional center in Kuwait, the NATO said in a statement.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the NATO Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) Regional Center, Stoltenberg said the center is NATO's first such presence in the Gulf region.

He said the center will be a vital hub for NATO's practical cooperation with Kuwait and other Gulf partners, as well as Saudi Arabia and Oman.

"The partnerships we will strengthen through this center are vitally important to NATO," Stoltenberg said, adding that, "Because the security of Gulf countries is directly linked to the security of all Allies."

"We face common security threats like terrorism, weapons proliferation, and cyber attacks," he said.

According to NATO, the ICI, launched at the Alliance's summit in Istanbul in 2004, aims to contribute to long-term global and regional security by offering countries of the broader Middle East region practical bilateral security cooperation with NATO. Endit