Spain wants NATO to invite Southern Neighbourhood to ministerial meeting before the end of the year

The Diplomat Spain wants NATO to invite the countries of the Southern Neighbourhood to a meeting of allied foreign ministers before 2025. It hopes that the example of the Asia-Pacific countries that have become regulars at NATO summits will be followed. The aim is that partner countries of the military bloc can attend the foreign affairs meeting. These would be included in the Mediterranean Dialogue initiative. This bloc includes Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia. Work would be done to ensure that at least a few can be invited. Within the group of Mediterranean countries there are also differences in their degree of relationship with NATO. Jordan and Mauritania are at the forefront in their dealings with the military organisation. Madrid wants to push for the dialogue that has been promoted in recent years with partners outside NATO to be accelerated in the Mediterranean, one of the objectives that the new Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, has also set. This fits in with the new strategy for the Southern Neighbourhood agreed at the Washington summit. Until now, the system of partnership with third countries has been developed especially with countries in the Asia-Pacific area. These are Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, countries that have participated in the latest leaders' summits and are invited to ministerial meetings. This responds to Washington's growing interest in a region marked by the military rise of China. A country that NATO does not consider a threat, but does view with some suspicion. At its last summit, it already referred to Beijing as a challenge to its security, especially for facilitating Russian aggression in Ukraine. That is why Spain now hopes to replicate this scheme to redouble political dialogue with its Mediterranean neighbours. This also includes regional organisations such as the African Union, the Arab League or the Gulf Cooperation Council. Approach to have greater cooperation in a region with security threats for the Euro-Atlantic area and where Moscow is gaining more and more influence. Spain hopes to have as an ally the special representative of the Alliance for the Southern Neighbourhood. A new position for which NATO has appointed the Spanish diplomat Javier Colomina. Allied sources explain that Colomina already had a first meeting at NATO headquarters with representatives of the allies.

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