The visit, which took place in the framework of NATO’s Public Diplomacy activities under the Istanbul Cooperation Initaitive, was an excellent opportunity to discuss NATO’s transformation and outreach to the Gulf and the broader Middle East region; NATO’s military cooperation with Qatar and other countries from the Istanbul Cooperation initiative; its operations and current agenda; its role in the fight against terrorism and energy security; as well as its role in civil emergency planning.
The group met with Mr. Nicola de Santis, Head of the Middle East and North Africa Section in the Political Affairs and Security Policy Division, Cdre. Eftimov, Deputy Director of the Cooperation and Regional Security Division in the International Military Staff, Ms. Juliette Bird, Head of the Counter-terrorism Section in the Emerging Security Challenges Division, Mr. Michel Soula, Head of the Operations Section in the Operations Division, Mr. Michael Ruhle, Head of the Energy Security Section, Emerging Security Challenges Division, Mr. Guenter Bretschneider, Head of the Civil Emergency Planning Outreach Section in the Operations Division, Mr. Jonathan Parish, Speechwriter in the Public Diplomacy Division, and Ms. Stephanie Siklossy, Political Officer in the Middle East and North Africa Section. The participants also held a panel discussion with H.E. Hayder Berk, Permanent representative of Turkey to the North Atlantic Council, and Minister Plenipotentiary Gianfranco Incarnato, Chargé d’Affaires of the Italian Delegation to the North Atlantic Council.
