clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

Jordan's king supports a Middle East version of NATO

King Abdullah II said he would support the formation of a military alliance of like-minded Middle Eastern states similar to NATO’s

June 24, 2022 at 4:31 pm

Jordan’s King Abdullah II has announced he would support the formation of a Middle East military alliance similar to the US-led NATO, Reuters reports.

King Abdullah already sees Jordan as a “partner” of NATO as his country has been working very closely for regional peace, the report added.

“I’d like to see more countries in the area come into that mix. I would be one of the first people that would endorse a Middle East NATO,” Abdullah said. “The mission statement has to be very, very clear. Otherwise, it confuses everybody.”

As well as military cooperation, a closer alliance in the Middle East could help to address the challenges arising from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, especially with regard to energy and commodity prices, Abdullah explained.

NATO-Jordan partnership has increased steadily over time after the US declared Jordan a “Major non-NATO Ally” in 1996. This deepened following the signing of the NATO-Jordan Defense Capacity Building Project (DCB) in 2018.

READ: Jordan’s King travels to UAE for talks