NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (Credit: nato.int)

By Gary Raynaldo     –   DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia December 12 and 13, the alliance reported. The NATO chief is scheduled to meet with the Minister of Defence, H.E. Khalid bin Salman Al Saud, and other high-level officials during his visit. Stoltenberg will also participate in a moderated discussion at Saudi Arabia National Defense University.  Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise one-day trip to the Middle East, visiting Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.  Putin met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman while in Riyadh.  In Abu Dhabi, Putin was welcomed by President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.  Before the Israeli-Hamas conflict, there was talk that Saudi Arabia had asked for a U.S. involved NATO-style defense treaty for normalising ties with Israel.  Saudi Arabia reportedly sought a formal security guarantee from the US.  But it would be unlikely Washington would  agree to such a defense pact that would go as far as NATO’s Article 5 commitment that an attack on one ally is considered an attack on all.