The United States hosted consultations on the political and security pillars of the Middle East Strategic Alliance, also known as the 'Arab NATO', in Washington yesterday.
Senior officials from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and the Gulf Cooperation Council came together to discuss the alliance.
According to the U.S. State Department press service, the initiative intended to advance regional stability, security, and prosperity through enhanced multilateral cooperation in the political, economic, energy, and security spheres.
"Defensive in nature, the alliance’s structure is intended to advance participating nations’ common objectives and address threats to regional stability, security, and prosperity," the statement says.
The State Department also said that the consultations included "formative exchanges on the strategic objectives of the alliance, with particular emphasis on political and security-related topics."
"The United States looks forward to continuing these positive discussions in order to leverage synergy and more effectively address existing and emergent challenges to our shared, vital interests in the region," the statement reads.
