Date : 15/10/2008
(With photos)
BRUSSELS, Oct 15 (KUNA) -- North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Spokesman James Appathurai said here Wednesday that a naval force of NATO is
on its way to the Gulf region for joint military exercises with members of the
Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI), including the State of Kuwait.
Appathurai said in a press conference that the second set of NATO naval
forces, consisting of seven ships from the naval forces of six countries in
NATO had crossed the Suez Canal to the Gulf region to conduct joint military
exercises.
He added that the second set grouped Durand de la Penne (flagship,
destroyer, Italy), Karlsruhe (frigate, Germany), Rhon (auxiliary, Germany),
Themistokles (frigate, Greece), Gokova (frigate, Turkey), Cumberland (frigate,
United Kingdom) and the Sullivans (destroyer, USA).
He said the second group, which will be led by Rear Admiral Giovanni
Gumiero will conduct military exercises in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar,
Bahrain and Kuwait.
The State of Kuwait was the first Gulf country to sign an information
sharing agreement and to join the ICI in line with specific frameworks in
November 2004.
Kuwait also had signed a security agreement with the NATO on information
exchange during an international conference on NATO-GCC cooperation in Kuwait
on December 12-13, 2006.
The ICI was launched during NATO's June 2004 Istanbul summit. (end)
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KUNA 152348 Oct 08NNNN