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QNA
Doha
The third meeting of the Consultative Group for the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) kicked off in Doha on Sunday.
In the opening speech Secretary-General of the Foreign Ministry Dr Ahmed bin Hassan al Hammadi said the course of relations between Qatar, a member of the ICI, and NATO has witnessed a landmark development over the past years. This was reflected in the mutual visits between officials from both sides at the highest levels in addition to the keenness of Qatar to actively participate in all efforts aimed at supporting areas of cooperation between the ICI countries and NATO.
"Qatar hosted the Annual NATO Conference on WMD Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation in March 2015, which marked the very first time that the event was held outside Europe in addition to today's meeting," Dr Hammadi said.
He pointed out the approval of Qatar of the Individual Partnership and Cooperation Programme (IPCP) between Qatar and NATO, which is a comprehensive framework for cooperation and joint action.
Dr Hammadi said the evolution of Qatar's relations with NATO within the framework of its membership in the ICI since 2005 stresses the country's commitment to employing its capabilities in enhancing security, cooperation and peace at regional and international levels.
"Importance of this meeting is clear if we take into account the current situation in the Middle East and the rest of the world. It is important in terms of exchange of views on finding effective solutions to the challenges, organising a constructive dialogue on partnership between the ICI countries and the NATO, strengthening cooperation in areas of common security challenges including terrorism, and in crisis management, energy security as well as other issues related to security and stability," Dr Hammadi added.
