Istanbul cooperation initiative
The Istanbul Cooperation Initiative ( English Istanbul Cooperation Initiative ( ICI ) ) was created in 2004 at the NATO summit in Istanbul in 1994 to complement the established Mediterranean Dialogue to life. The ICI includes the states of Bahrain , Qatar , Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates .
The goal is security cooperation between NATO and Middle Eastern countries . The ICI is aligned with the NATO Partnership for Peace and the Mediterranean Dialogue (MD) . It should take into account the security requirements of the 21st century. The ICI is open to all interested nations in the Middle East.
The main activities are in the following areas:
- Preventing the development and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
- Fight against terrorism
- Education and training
- Participation in NATO exercises
- Promotion of military cooperation ( interoperability )
- (civil) disaster prevention and management
- Support with military reforms
- Cooperation in border security to prevent the illegal transfer of drugs, weapons and people