NATO Is Called Considering Expansion Of Missions In The Middle East And North Africa

NATO's foreign minister meeting in Brussels, Belgium. (Twitter/@jensstoltenberg)

JAKARTA - The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) this week will discuss a possible appointment of its first special representative to the southern community, in an effort to strengthen ties with the Middle East, North Africa and Sahel (Mena), senior NATO diplomats said on Tuesday.

A total of 32 NATO foreign ministers are scheduled to discuss more than 100 recommendations made by independent panel of experts, to improve relations with the alliance's southern region in a two-day meeting in Brussels that began on Wednesday. The report was requested by Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg last year.

The meeting is expected to be dominated by war in Ukraine ahead of the next NATO summit in July in Washington, United States, as the alliance celebrates its 75th anniversary.

In a relationship with the Mena region is urgent for many NATO members. Western diplomats said they felt the need to highlight their narrative of war in Ukraine, which has been weakened by Russia's disinformation campaign and double-standard accusations of war in Gaza.

"Special representations to the southern region are critical to several countries that have sought to achieve the goal of the summit in Washington," said a senior NATO diplomat, as reported by The National News April 4.

"It can also cover more funds for activities with these countries," he continued.

"It's about placing staff and funding for more projects in the South on defense missions and giving advice," he said.

"We need to convey our narrative to these countries. We need to be involved in dialogue," said another senior NATO diplomat.

Currently, the NATO center for the Mena is in Naples, Italy, where there are about 60 people based, only a small part of the alliance's total workforce, totaling 4,000 people at its headquarters in the Belgian capital.

NATO is reportedly considering opening an office in Amman, Jordan, which will be the first office in the Arab world.

"NATO allies are committed to further strengthening our relationship with partners of the same value and interest as the alliance in enforcing a rule-based international order," NATO military committee chairman Admiral Rob Bauer said during a visit to Jordan in September.

"Yordania, among them, are close friends and very valuable partners," he continued.

Meanwhile, some diplomats warned the appointment of special representatives for NATO's southern region was "one of the possibilities under consideration".

"Involvement with Southern countries is not only meaningful against Russia," said NATO's third senior diplomat.

"We have our own positive reasons to want to deepen the partnership for our own security," he said.

It is known that NATO currently has three special representatives who report to Stoltenberg, namely Special Coordinator of Counter-Terrorism Thomas Goffus, Special Representative of Kaupas and Central Asia Javier Colomia Piriz as well as Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security Irene Fellin.

Most recently, NATO recently appointed the first official to be fluent in Arabic, British citizen Farah Dakhlallah as spokesman.