The military alliance's secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, was present at Tuesday's inauguration of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) Regional Center, along with Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and Foreign Minister Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah. The new center, which is located in the Diplomatic Zone of Mishref, Kuwait City, will foster cooperation between members of NATO and ICI with respect to security, emergency planning, and public diplomacy, as well as provide training in such fields as cybersecurity.

"This is not a full-fledge military cooperation, meaning any collective security guarantees, but it is a way for NATO to work even closer with good friends, good partners in the Gulf region," Stoltenberg said at the joint press conference.

"And I think we really will benefit from closer cooperation, because the countries in the Gulf region and NATO we face the same threats, the same challenges, terrorism, failing States, cyberattacks and instability in our neighborhood," he added.