Ahead the first official Israeli mission at NATO headquarters in Brussels, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg says Israel has been an active alliance partner for 20 years and now it was “essential” to step up cooperation and go a step further.
“Violence in North Africa and in the Middle East is a clear threat to all our nations…. It is vital that countries which share the same values … stand together against hate and terrorism,” Stoltenberg tells reporters alongside Israeli President Reuven Rivlin at NATO headquarters.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg gives a press conference during a defense ministers meeting at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on February 5, 2015. (AFP Photo/John Thys)
Rivlin says opening the mission “will help Israel and NATO in strengthening our cooperation and our good relations. It will help us share best practices and information.”
“In the Middle East, the winds of hatred blow stronger than ever (and) events in one region affect the rest of world,” he says.
The move had been discussed for several years but was held up by opposition from Turkey, a key NATO member which is reportedly on the verge of normalizing ties with Israel, once its close regional ally.
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