NATO plans to invite representatives from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait to a meeting in Ankara. The main topic of discussion will be the conflict with Iran.
According to Oxu.Az citing Bloomberg, the foreign ministers of these four states, members of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) established by the alliance in 2004, are expected to attend the event scheduled for July 7-8. Sources emphasize that this step stems from the alliance's desire to focus attention on its southern borders amid tensions around Iran.
This dialogue will also take place against the backdrop of disagreements between Washington and European partners after US President Donald Trump harshly criticized NATO members over the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz.
The main sessions of the summit will be limited to the participation of alliance leaders only. Representatives of other states will only be able to attend additional events.
