The Kyrgyz Republic hosted forces from United States Air Forces Central and the Montana Army and Air National Guards at exercise Ak Shumkar 2025. The Kyrgyz Ministry of Defense held the joint exercise June 23-27 in Bishkek to expand the partnership between the two countries and improve cooperation and interoperability. The Kyrgyz-led exercise consisted of civil-military training in areas such as humanitarian assistance and disaster response, aeromedical evacuation, search and rescue, and border security. U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Derek France, commander of Ninth Air Force, said the exercise was “a significant step forward in strengthening security cooperation with our…
Unipath
In recognition of Qatar’s significant role in calming security tensions in the Middle East, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam visited Doha in June 2025 as the head of a ministerial delegation. Prime Minister Salam met with His Highness the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and other senior Qatari officials. The meetings addressed issues of common interest and ways to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries. The Lebanese prime minister’s visit represents an opportunity to relaunch joint development projects and boost Qatari investments…
The United Arab Emirates is one of the United States’ most prominent security and military partners in the Middle East, with cooperation spanning several areas, including counterterrorism, maritime security, cybersecurity and defense technology. To reinforce such cooperation, the countries signed a letter of intent (LOI) in May 2025 to establish a comprehensive U.S.-UAE Major Defense Partnership. The signatories in Abu Dhabi were Mohammed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Minister of State for Defence Affairs of the UAE, and Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of War. Intended to develop a road map that guides bilateral military cooperation, the LOI also represents a shared commitment…
The nations of Central Asia, an important crossroads between east and west, are seeking to expand economic and political partnerships outside of the region. Leaders of the European Union and the five nations of post-Soviet Central Asia — Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan — met in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, April 3-4, 2025, to advance these ties. During the summit, leaders discussed topics including multilateral and regional cooperation, security challenges, trade and investment, energy, human rights, and scientific and educational exchanges and cooperation. This first-ever high-level EU-Central Asia summit is just the beginning of what EU leaders hope will…
During an official ceremony at the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) headquarters in Yarzeh, Beirut, Lebanon, in July 2025, the European Union announced a new 12.5 million euro project to support the LAF in leading recovery efforts in southern Lebanon. The project, to be implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), is aimed at enhancing security and helping communities rebuild. “This project represents a critical milestone for the military institution, which bears immense responsibilities at the national level,” Lebanese Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal said. “The army continues to exert tremendous efforts to uphold the authority of the state across…
The recently signed Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement (SMDA) between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia strengthens the two countries’ longtime security commitment. Ratified in September 2025, the pact provides for increased mutual military training, intelligence sharing and technological aid. In case of aggression by other countries, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia agreed to support each other militarily. The agreement follows a July 2025 engagement in Karachi in which the naval chiefs of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia discussed regional maritime security and enhanced bilateral defense cooperation. Adm. Naveed Ashraf, Pakistan’s Chief of Naval Staff, lauded Saudi Arabia’s contributions to the partnership and called…
A staunch advocate for peace and stability, the Kingdom of Bahrain sought to deepen its partnership with the United Kingdom as part of a national effort to bring together like-minded countries to promote security, growth and prosperity in the Middle East. Sheikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Khalifa, Bahrain’s ambassador to the United States; Mora Namdar of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau for Near Eastern Affairs; and Lucy Ferguson, the U.K.’s acting deputy head of mission to the U.S., signed an agreement in Washington in June 2025, marking the accession of the U.K. to the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement (C-SIPA).…
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…
The Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) Programme Office in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, delivered four video surveillance cameras to the Tajik border service for use on the country’s Panj district border with Afghanistan. The video equipment is part of Phase 3 of a European Union-funded project to stabilize Tajikistan’s southern border with Afghanistan. Col. Gen. Rajabali Rahmonali, commander of the Border Troops of the State Committee for National Security, emphasized the importance of the EU’s aid in strengthening the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border and border security throughout the region, and called for expansion of the program. Delivered in July 2025, the…
With the help of partner countries, Kuwait has been rebuilding its armed forces since regaining sovereignty and independence in February 1991. The United States has been a top partner of Kuwait, a major non-NATO ally. For example, in June 2025, the U.S. State Department approved a possible foreign military sale (FMS) to the government of Kuwait of the M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank System Sustainment Support and related equipment. The purchase amounts to $325 million, including spare parts and repair kits. The FMS program has generated $28 billion in ongoing sales between the U.S. and Kuwait, promising to improve Kuwait’s…