Building on a three-decade partnership, Jordan and NATO marked a significant milestone in June 2025 by signing a bilateral legal agreement to establish a NATO Liaison Office (NLO) in Amman, Jordan.
The agreement was signed by Ambassador Yousef Bataineh, head of mission of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to NATO, and Javier Colomina, the NATO secretary-general’s special representative for the Southern Neighborhood.
“This agreement marks a major milestone in our strategic partnership with NATO,” Bataineh said. “The choice of Amman as the headquarters for NATO’s first office in the region reflects Jordan’s vital role in promoting peace, security and stability across the Middle East.”
The decision to open an NLO in Amman was announced
in the Final Declaration of the NATO Summit in Lithuania in July 2023 and reiterated during the NATO Summit in Washington in July 2024.
“The relationship we have with Jordan today is already very healthy. We have lots of areas of cooperation. We are using most of our partnership tools,” Colomina said. “The opening of the office will be a major change in how we cooperate with Jordan. It will open avenues for extra areas of cooperation, bring us a physical presence in Amman that will help us to achieve our mutual goals quicker. The office has a political meaning, prepared to build on the already excellent relationship, and contribute to the practical cooperation we have with Jordan.”
His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein of Jordan was instrumental in increasing cooperation with NATO. A statement issued by the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the decision represents an acknowledgment of Jordan’s pivotal role in promoting regional and international stability and commends its long-standing achievements in combating cross-border threats such as terrorism and violent extremism.
Sources: Al Jazeera, NATO, The Jordan Times