Spain’s Foreign Minister Calls On NATO To Boost Engagement In Maghreb

Spain's Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares has called on NATO to increase its engagement across the Maghreb.

According to the Middle East Monitor, the minister said in an interview with the Financial Times that, "The Mediterranean, the Maghreb, the Sahel and Sub-Saharan Africa are vital for NATO and Europe."

"We talk about a NATO response to threats but, without context, this will be just a slogan. NATO needs to think about what its role is going to be."

The Spanish country is preparing to host the next NATO summit in Madrid between June 29-30, and leaders are set to make key decisions to implement a new strategic concept.

Speaking ahead of the summit, Albares outlined ways for NATO to engage with the southern region, including political dialogue, police and army training among others.

The Maghreb is the western part of North Africa and the Arab world.

The region includes Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, the territories of Western Sahara and the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla.