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Days before a Nato conference is set to be staged in Bahrain, GulfWeekly journalists -RdS- and Shilpa Chandran attended a press conference held at Nato Headquarters in the Belgian capital of Brussels. Organised by Bahrain's Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa and newly-appointed Foreign Ministry acting head of information, studies and research, Shaikha Dr Rana bint Isa Al Khalifa, the conference provided an overview of Nato's activities in the region and Bahrain-Nato relations.
A decade ago the prospect of the greatest military alliance in history, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato), expanding its role into the Middle East seemed unlikely.
But following the deployment of 47,000 Nato troops in Afghanistan and the establishment of training facilities for Iraqi security forces in Baghdad, the picture today looks very different.
And as Bahrain gets ready to host a second Nato conference in the kingdom next week, the organisation, once solely dedicated to the North Atlantic, is showing its determination to consolidate a new role in the 'broader Middle East region'.
To be held at the Ritz Carlton Bahrain Hotel & Spa on April 24, the conference will address Nato-Bahrain relations and the Istanbul Co-operation Initiative (ICI).
Ambassadors from Nato's 26 member countries as well as Nato's top brass will descend on the country.
Among them will be secretary general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, assistant director of co-operation and regional security General Georges Lebel, and the head of Nato's Mediterranean Dialogue and ICI public diplomacy division Nicola de Santis.
Talks will be held with His Majesty King Hamad, Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa.
The conference follows hot on the heels of Bahrain's chief of public security, Major General Abdul Latif Al Zayani's visit to Nato last month to discuss issues of civil emergency planning and crisis management.
In June last year staff talks were held between Nato and Bahrain, the first-ever held between the alliance and a country from the ICI.
The same month a conference organised by Nato's public diplomacy division and the kingdom's Ministry of Information was held in Manama.
Since then bilateral talks between Bahrain and Nato have been gathering pace.
Top of next week's agenda will be the ICI, a wide-ranging agreement between Nato and GCC countries that offers a menu of security and training initiatives aimed at fostering regional security and stability.
So far, four out of the six GCC nations have officially adhered to the initiative: Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE joined in 2005.
Speaking at a press conference held at Nato headquarters, Mr De Hoop Scheffer told journalists from Bahrain that the kingdom will soon sign a security agreement that will facilitate the sharing of classified information and intelligence.
Kuwait signed a similar security agreement in December, and it is understood that Qatar and the UAE will follow suit.
The impact of the agreement remains to be seen, but Mr De Hoop Scheffer told journalists that 'it will be an important element of the visit' and that the security agreement 'will make it easier to exchange documents of a classified nature.'
Nato sources also revealed that a recently held special committee meeting in Kuwait, comprising of Nato intelligence services and special services of partner countries could not have been held without the security agreement.
The agreement will also further entrench Bahrain in the ICI and 'deepen the dialogue.'
Launched in 2004 as a direct response to 9/11, the ICI aims to contribute to global and regional security by offering countries practical bilateral security co-operation with Nato.
Starting with the GCC countries, the initiative is open to all 'interested countries of the broader Middle East as long as they share its aims and subscribe to its content.
As a signatory, Bahrain can choose from a 'menu' of options that include both military and civilian components.
Among the initiative's focuses are counter-terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, border security, disaster and civil emergency planning and training and education.
It also offers participation in Nato exercises, tailored advice on defence reform and civil-military relations and promoting military interoperability.
In line with planned security sector reform are hopes to generate greater transparency in defence budgeting.
The sharing of the alliance's expertise to combat common problems such as weapons smuggling and dealing with failed states, and the offer of practical support against terrorism threats, access to training, defence reform expertise and procurement advice, could all potentially benefit Bahrain.
Security sector reform, although not without its share of problems, could bring Bahrain's security systems up to an 'appropriate standard to deal with 21st century crises'.
Nato officials also reiterate that the pace and depth of Bahrain's participation is entirely up to its policy-makers, and that the ICI is not a 'one-way exercise but a two-way street'. Similarly although GCC countries already enjoy bilateral agreements with Western countries, there are advantages to being part of a multilateral umbrella.
As one Arab proverb placed on the Nato website puts it: 'In the desert of life, the wise person travels by caravan, whereas the fool prefers to travel alone.'
A Nato source says though it is early to assess the positive impact of the agreement, Bahrain has had staff level meetings with experts in consequence management, as well as briefings on arms control, nuclear issues and civil emergency planning.
'There are a number of things Bahrain is interested in and we are discussing how to put them into practice,' he said.
One of the greatest challenges facing the initiative is the 'perception' of the alliance in the Middle East. Nato's high-profile public diplomacy programme hopes to reach out to the Arab street and alter public opinion.
Seen as a distrusted vehicle for US military expansion, Nato is keen to reinforce that it is an inter-governmental, multilateral organisation whose decisions are only taken by full consensus of all members.
Officials point to the US-led invasion of Iraq, which saw disputes between Germany, France and the US cause one of the greatest crises in the alliance's history. Nato played no part in the invasion, although many member countries did.
But Nato and Bahrain will nevertheless have to counter claims that they are further being tied to the US. Nato officials are also keen to stress that the ICI was not a product being 'sold' to the GCC. As one Nato source put it: 'Policy is not a hot-dog, you can't sell it. People are free to choose whether they like it or not.'
Another challenge is Saudi Arabia's lack of commitment to the initiative. Although Nato says the country has shown a 'deep interest' it has not officially adhered to the ICI and questions have been raised about the impact of not having the GCC's most powerful country on board.
At a Nato-Saudi Arabia conference held in Riyadh in January, Ambassador Minuto Rizzo reinforced how important Saudi's co-operation is.
'I do want to stress here that Nato would very much appreciate the participation of Saudi Arabia in the ICI,' he said. 'Saudi Arabia is a key country in this region. Its potential and its traditional role in promoting peace and stability in the region make it a major player in the Gulf area and beyond.'
Face-to-face with Nato CHIEF
Nato is not seeking a 'political footprint' in the region, Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told journalists from Bahrain ahead of his visit to the kingdom.
'Nato is not coming to your region to add a political footprint. That is not the objective of the exercise,' he insisted.
'There is added value in this relationship for all of us. It is not a one-way street. Nato is not coming to your region and saying here we are and we are going to tell you what to do and what not to do.
'It is creating added value for Nato by talking to you and by coming into a region which is not usually associated with Nato.
'Adding value does not mean seeing Nato navy steaming up into your region. That is not the way we do it.'
He added that the alliance was not trying to sell itself like a 'soap powder.'
The Dutchman said that the region was key for maintaining global and regional security and that Bahrain and Nato are faced with the same threats and challenges.
'The threats and challenges facing Bahrain are basically no different in our present day world, than the challenges faced by the 26 Nato nations.
'We are all affected by the global phenomenon of terrorism. We are all trying to do something against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the risks of failing states.
'Stability in your region has much wider consequences,' he said.
Mr De Hoop Scheffer who took over the role of secretary general in 2004, said that though Nato had its roots in Western culture, it had 'full respect for Islamic values' and was 'learning a lot'.
He added that Nato was fundamentally transforming through new partnerships such as the ICI.
He said that he was keen to hear what Bahrain's problems and concerns were and what Nato could do to relieve them, adding that Nato has a 'huge tool box' of military and civilian expertise it could offer.
'For instance, I know that in your region there is a lot of concern over nuclear incidents. Nato has a lot of experience in consequence management, which means dealing with a civilian disaster,' he said.
The secretary general expressed concern over Iran's controversial nuclear programme, but brushed aside any suggestions that Nato should become directly involved in the issue.
'I hope that Iran will abide by UN Security Council resolutions and I hope that Iran will be open to inspections,' he said.
'The International Atomic Energy Agency has an important role, the European Union and the US, but not Nato. Nato as an alliance should not, and will not, be involved.
'I can't hide the fact from you that it concerns me, but I hope that diplomacy will prevail.'
He also said that he did not see a direct role in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, not because Nato was not interested, but because there are others who were more qualified to deal with the problem.
He defended Nato's involvement in Afghanistan speaking of the 'horrors of the Taliban regime which neglects women's rights and prevents girls from going to school'.
'In such a case if the UN asks you to act, you act,' he said.
However, he added: 'Nato should not pretend that it is qualified to find a solution for all problems that we are confronted with directly or indirectly.'
