‘Nobody can stand alone’: Nato parliamentary chief urges deeper Middle East partnerships
The head of the Nato Parliamentary Assembly has called for deeper partnerships between the alliance and the Middle East to strengthen security and draw on lessons from the wars in Ukraine and Iran. “We live in a world where nobody can stand alone, so we need to deepen the co-operation and partnerships with our friends,” said Marcos Perestrello, president of the assembly that brings together…
Marcos Perestrello, president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, has urged deeper partnerships between the alliance and the Middle East to bolster security and learn from recent conflicts like Ukraine and Iran. Speaking in Abu Dhabi, Mr Perestrello emphasized that security in Europe and the Middle East is interdependent, with turmoil in one region affecting the other.
The UAE, he noted, is a prime example of resilience, having withstood more than 550 ballistic missiles and 2,265 drones during Iran's retaliatory attacks during the war. Lessons from the conflicts have shown that belligerents are interconnected, with Iranian Shahed drones used by Russia in Ukraine and by Iran against Gulf states.
Ukrainian experts have since advised on countering drone attacks in the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Mr Perestrello suggested strengthening the Istanbul Co-operation Initiative, a framework for NATO's engagement with Gulf partners, as a way to deepen ties. The initiative, launched in 2004, includes the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain.
NATO members and Gulf partners met on the sidelines of NATO's Ankara summit, launching projects on maritime security and counter-drone work to address regional threats. As the Iran war enters its ninth month, its consequences extend beyond the Middle East, contributing to a global energy crisis and putting pressure on NATO's borders and readiness.
NATO has committed to increasing defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, a target that countries are on track to meet if they maintain their current pace of spending.
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