Brussels : Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen yesterday received Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister, who is currently on a visit to Belgium.
They discussed cooperation between the Nato and the UAE within the frameworks of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative and Isaf.
Shaikh Abdullah reiterated the UAE's keenness to develop cooperation with Nato in all fields to enhance regional security and peace and provide better ways to exchange technical and defence expertise, develop training programmes and benefit from the expertise of the Nato in training and exchange of information.
Rasmussen thanked the UAE for hosting the Nato forum in Abu Dhabi in October. He praised the role played by the UAE in Afghanistan in delivering humanitarian aid to the Afghan people, and its role in protecting security and peace in the Balkan area.
"The meeting in Abu Dhabi gave us a chance to enhance cooperation ties with our partners in the Istanbul Initiative, which includes the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait," Rasmussen said.
"In light of the success achieved in Abu Dhabi, we are currently seeking to hold meetings at the level of ambassadors for the Istanbul Initiative and Mediterranean Dialogue countries to expand horizons of cooperation and prepare for similar meetings between foreign ministers of these countries and the Nato at a later stage," he added.
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