(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) WARSAW, July 10 (KUNA) -- NATO has at last woken up to the realization that security and stability in the wider Middle East and North Africa region are inter-linked to the security of the western world.
This was explicit in the final communiqu released by the 28 NATO leaders after the end of their 2-day summit in the Polish capital Saturday evening.
The communiqu noted "the continuing crises and instability across the Middle East and North Africa region, in particular in Syria, Iraq and Libya, as well as the threat of terrorism and violent extremism across the region and beyond, demonstrate that the security of the region has direct implications for the security of NATO." NATO''s southern security challenges are multiple and complex and recent terror attacks in Brussels and Paris have exposed major loopholes in the Western world''s security architecture.
The ongoing turmoil in the Middle East, capped by the Syrian conflict, the growing threat posed by the so-called Islamic State, and the migration crisis featured prominently during the discussions between the Alliance leaders.
In fact a large part of the lengthy 139-para communiqu referred to developments in the Middle East and NATO''s ties with Russia.
One full session was devoted on ways to project stability in the Middle East by forging closer relations and cooperation with partner countries.
NATO leaders underlined the strategic importance of the Arab Gulf countries and said they look forward for closer cooperation between the 28-member Alliance and the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
"Bearing in mind the strategic importance of the Gulf region, we look forward to the establishment of regular working-level ties between the international secretariats of NATO and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and to the launch of practical cooperation with the GCC as well as with its member states," noted the communique.
"We will continue to develop our partnership with countries of the Middle East and North Africa region through deeper political dialogue and enhanced practical cooperation," said the NATO leaders after their biannual meeting.
The summit took a set of important decisions to project stability in the Middle East, including to start a new training and capacity building effort in Iraq and the use of AWACS surveillance aircraft to support the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL.
Another prominent topic on the Warsaw summit agenda was Afghanistan where NATO extended its train, advice and assist Resolute Support mission beyond 2016 and also pledged to maintain alliance''s troop commitments in 2017 at the current level of 12,000, and confirmed funding commitments for the Afghan forces until 2020.
On Russia, NATO leaders sent a mixed message of warning accompanied by an olive branch.
"Russia''s recent activities and policies have reduced stability and security, increased unpredictability, and changed the security environment," said the communique but added that "a partnership between NATO and Russia, based on respect for international law and commitments, would be of strategic value." The Alliance also decided to deploy four battalions totaling about 4,000 troops to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to defend the Eastern flank against the perceived Russian threat. (end) nk.ibi