North Atlantic Treaty Organization
October 4, 2013
Chair of NATO’s Military Committee visits Jordan
A NATO military delegation headed by the Chairman of the Military Committee, General Knud Bartels, visited Jordan from 01-04 October 2013 by invitation of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mashal M. Al-Zaben. Speaking at the Jordan Armed Forces (JAF) General HQ in Amman, Gen. Bartels thanked the country for its commitment and support for partnership activities in cooperation with NATO. “We appreciate Jordan’s contributions to NATO-led operations and we look forward to enhancing our cooperation and regular consultations in 2014. Also we will look into deepening our interoperability between the Jordanian military forces and NATO,” Gen. Bartels said.
In talks with His Royal Highness Prince Faisal Bin Al-Hussein and Gen. Mashal M. Al-Zaben, Gen. Bartels commended Jordan’s high level of ambition for cooperation with NATO. Jordan previously contributed to KFOR and Operation Unified Protector for Libya. “Jordan is a most valued partner with NATO in protecting international security and stability through its cooperation with NATO in missions,” Gen. Bartels said. “Practical military-to-military cooperation is at unprecedented level and besides cooperation in missions it covers exercises, academic exchange, interoperability of forces,” he added. Gen. Bartels agreed with Gen. Mashal M. Al-Zaben to deepening regular consultations between NATO and Jordan on interoperability and exchanging views on the perspectives on the regional security situation.
“I am satisfied with our cooperation and I thank NATO for the excellent support to the Jordanian Armed Forces,” Gen. Mashal M. Al-Zaben said at the meeting. Gen. Bartels also delivered a speech at the JAF’s Royal National Defence College, where the audience consisting of senior officers and officials from Jordan and the wider region, engaged him in frank discussions on regional developments and challenges. “Jordan and NATO share common security challenges and a common interest in seeing the region prosperous and at peace,” the General said. Touching upon Syria, he stressed: “Jordan, as a neighboring country, has been affected by the Syrian crisis and I am very much aware that Jordan bears a massive burden accommodating the huge amount of Syrian refugees entering Jordan.” Through NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre, some 30 nations have been able to participate in the continuing effort to alleviate some of the burden on Jordan. Gen. Mashal M. Al-Zaben expressed his thanks for the support during the meeting.
Jordan has played an active role in the Mediterranean Dialogue since 1995. NATO’s Mediterranean Dialogue was initiated in 1994 by the North Atlantic Council. It currently involves seven non-NATO countries of the Mediterranean region: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia.
Source