JERUSALEM, Israel - IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi plans to talk with NATO allies about the need for cooperation between the Israel Defense Forces and NATO militaries against the global terrorist threat, the army said in a statement on Tuesday.

Ashkenazi left on Tuesday to attend the NATO Military Chiefs of Defense conference in Brussels. The conference will focus on ways to enhance maritime security and includes meetings with Mediterranean Dialogue countries.

The Mediterranean Dialogue was first launched in 1994. It currently includes seven countries: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia.

The conference intends "to create good relations and better mutual understanding and confidence throughout the region, promoting regional security and stability and explaining NATO's policies and goals."

Ashkenazi will also hold a series of meetings with senior NATO officials and his counterparts from various countries, including U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffs Admiral Michael G. Mullen.

Ashkenazi and Mullen will discuss "strengthening the relations between the two armed forces, the security condition and the challenges in the Middle East," the army said in a statement.