Australias flexible engagement with NATO began in the early 1950s, with the involvement of the Royal Australian Air Force in NATO exercises.
The recently elected government in Canberra has said that re-setting relations with China was a priority, but that it would take time.
deepening of political dialogue and strategic discussions with partners from across the globe, including in the Gulf region.
Furthermore, it was also felt that a new blueprint for the Alliance was needed to encourage a closer alignment of defence and capabilities structures in member countries. Commitment to Asian Allies, Putins trip to Iran shows Russias desperation, says U.S. Institute of Peace - CNBC, Zelensky's challenges as his fate plays out on battlefield - Agence France Presse, Former ambassador: Ukrainians "happy" their first lady is visiting Washington and addressing Congress - CBS News, Amb. The Brussels Summit Communique issued by NATO heads of state and government noted that Chinas stated ambitions and assertive behavior presented systemic challenges to the rules-based international order and to areas relevant to Alliance security, and detailed areas of concern. NATO countries meet this week in Madrid, Spain amid Russias war on Ukraine, the biggest test the alliance has faced in decades. Parliament of Australia, National Interest analysis ATNIA 27. These include the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, the Partnership for Peace, the Mediterranean Dialogue, and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative. The summit is expected to focus heavily on demonstrating NATOs unity, support for Ukraine and the bids of Finland and Sweden propelled by Russias aggressive incursion to join the alliance. For a list of representatives from partner countries, see: http://www.natolisboa2010.gov.pt/site_media/attachments/en/paises_parceiros_en.pdf, [42]. See also R Tanter, Australia and NATO, Nautilus Institute, RMIT University, 12 January 2010, viewed 1 December 2010, http://gc.nautilus.org/Nautilus/australia/australian-security-general/australia-and-nato. On March 12, President Joe Biden and the leaders of Australia, India and Japan participated in a virtual summit of the Quad, a strategic dialogue between the four countries aimed at ensuring an open, free and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. NATO, NATOs relations with Contact Countries: evolution of relations, viewed 1 December 2010, http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-80A0CD64-57B5A341/natolive/topics_49188.htm#evolution, [23]. We acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia and acknowledge their continuing connection to land, waters and community. [4] Twenty-eight Heads of State/Governmentincluding Australias closest military allies, the US and the United Kingdom (UK)have endorsed NATOs new Strategic Concept, which is NATOs core strategic and operational document. NATO members currently comprise: 21 (out of 27) EU member countries (including Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and United Kingdom), Albania, Canada, Croatia, Iceland, Norway, Turkey, and the United States of America. Parliament of Australia, Report of the Australian Parliamentary delegation to the 55th Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Edinburgh 1417 November 2009, February 2010, viewed 1 December 2010, http://www.aph.gov.au/house/info/pro/42p_reports/NATO_2009.pdf, [36]. [1]. [37], Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard visited NATO Headquarters in October 2010 and met with the NATO Secretary-General to discuss the Afghanistan mission. [35] In August 2010, the head of the NATO Parliamentary Committee, Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, visited Australia for consultations, and delivered a public lecture.[36]. Australia is eager to limit Chinas security and trade ambitions in the Pacific, a region Canberra has traditionally considered its sphere of influence. NATO, NATO Secretary General 20042009, viewed 1 December 2010, http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/who_is_who_7329.htm, [10]. In February 2009, the then Minister for Defence, Joel Fitzgibbon, attended a NATO meeting of Defence Ministers in Poland where he discussed Australias commitment to Afghanistan and affirmed the need for non-NATO partner countries to contribute to planning meetings. [2]. [9] The Secretary-General appointed a group of 12 experts, chaired by the former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, to facilitate the process. Grants & Fellowships President Yoon has also articulated a vision for his country as a global pivotal state, for which a NATO platform provides ample opportunity. NATO, NATOs relations with contact countries: evolution of relations, viewed 1 December 2010, http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-80A0CD64-57B5A341/natolive/topics_49188.htm#evolution, [32]. The defence spending by NATO members constitutes over 65 per cent of the worlds defence spending today. For commentary on the potential downsides of a more formalised relationship between Australia and NATO, see JGrey, Future directions for NATO: an Australian Perspective, in R Asmus (ed. There is a clear cognizance that how the world reacts to Russias use of force against Ukraine will inform Chinas calculations in the region, including on Taiwan. Joint Press Conference with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer MP, Minister for Defence Senator Robert Hill, and the NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, 1 April 2005, viewed 1 December 2010, http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22media%2Fpressrel%2FGBMF6%22, [26]. He said it was crucial that democratic nations stand in solidarity with Ukraine. U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are in Asia this week for their first official foreign trip. This time, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, New Zealander Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol have all announced plans to attend the summit. First is the character of the countries themselves.
Search for experts, projects, publications, courses, and more. The experts report describes the new Security Concept as a renewal of vows on behalf of each NATO member state towards a stronger collective resolve (or political will) to tackle conventional and unconventional threats to members security, most of which are now found outside their borders. "It is also the case that Russia and China, their arrangements, and the closeness that has occurred in recent times means that it is also very important for our region..
[15] The changed structural conditions within NATO and the perception of external threats warranted, therefore, a new strategic doctrine for the next decade. The grouping is a helpful format for NATO, because these countries are its partners in an important region, but there is little to indicate whether the countries themselves see any significant value in organizing themselves in this way. Patricia M. Kim; Frank Aum; Vikram J. Singh; Brian Harding. If a rumored summit between Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea on the sidelines of the NATO summit does take place, it could give an interesting indication of the partner countries thinking in this regard. Relations between Canberra and Beijing have deteriorated in recent years over geopolitical disputes, such as human rights, democracy in Hong Kong, and the South China Sea. For many of the same reasons that NATO wants them to be there, not least of all the need to adapt to common strategic challenges related to changes in the international system. ), NATO and global partners: views from the outside, Riga Papers, The German Marshall Fund of the United States, Washington, 2729 November 2006, pp. The role of public diplomacy for NATO and citizen engagement has gained prominence over the past few years, as evidenced by the first Shadow Summit that took place in April 2009 which coincided with the 60th anniversary of the Alliance. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Anthony Albanese is traveling to Europe for the first time since forming government in May. To this end, various avenues were created to enhance political dialogue: meetings of the North Atlantic Council with ministers of the countries concerned, high level talks, and meetings with ambassadors. A Downer (Minister for Foreign Affairs), Enhanced Cooperation with NATO in a New Security Environment, media release, 19 April 2004, viewed 1 December 2010, http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22media%2Fpressrel%2FV2KC6%22 See also First visit of senior Australian official to NATO HQ, NATO Update, http://www.nato.int/docu/update/2004/05-may/e0519b.htm, Joint Press point NATO speeches, viewed 1December 2010, http://www.nato.int/docu/speech/2004/s040519a.htm . South Korea, for example, is less concerned about China and more concerned about North Korea and its nuclear program, a problem on which it hopes to garner Europes attention and assistance. improving NATOs relations with Russia by fostering closer cooperation on issues such as nuclear disarmament, arms control, counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics and counter-piracy efforts, NATOs nuclear- and arms control policy, and. [14] In 2009, France also rejoined NATOs integrated military structures (from which it had been absent since 1966). [17] All of these concerns are shared by Australia, albeit to various degrees, as evidenced by the analysis found in foreign policy documents of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian parliamentary debates, and think-tanks such as the Lowy Institute for International Policy, or the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI). They held meetings in Japan and South Korea. One question for the Australian Government will be whether it will continue with its pragmatic engagement with the Alliance, or will the Security Concept facilitate any adjustments to Australias policy towards NATO? NATO, NATOs New Strategic Concept: latest news, viewed 1 December 2010, http://www.nato.int/strategic-concept/index.html, [19]. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Annual report 200910, Canberra, 2010, p. 7, viewed 1 December 2010, http://www.dfat.gov.au/dept/annual_reports/09_10/DFAT-AR0910.pdf, [41]. The Vilnius meeting allowed Australia to contribute at a strategic level to NATOs action plan on Afghanistan.[29]. [6]. This would provide both the electorate and Parliament with better information about the Governments engagement with NATO, and present an opportunity for more informed and wider deliberations on foreign policy. Experts report, NATO 2020: assured security; dynamic engagement. Third, and relatedly, is the benefit to NATO of having interoperability, coordination and information sharing with countries embedded in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as the messaging and optics on unity this provides. NATOs Shadow Summits have already included civil society representatives, as well as parliamentarians. Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security Section, The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) finds itself at a strategic crossroads, as it moves to the next stage in development of its strategic outlook for the forthcoming decade. In November 2010 Julia Gillard and Defence Minister Stephen Smith attended the NATO Summit in Lisbon, where they held discussions with NATO members and senior partners (including non-NATO members) towards enhancing collaboration, particularly in crisis management and post-conflict reconstruction. According to Benjamin Schreer from the Australian National University, the Lisbon Summit delivered two major outcomes for Australia: NATO members agreed on a phased transition of security responsibilities to Afghan Security Forces by 2014a development which will prominently feature in Australian policy planning, and the Strategic Concept as NATOs premier conceptual guideline defining its major goals, ends and means opens up new possibilities for collaboration between Australia and NATO, both in terms of closer security cooperation and the ability to provide a greater contribution to NATO-led operations.
An ongoing responsibility for the Australian Government in its engagement with NATO is to maintain transparency in the Governments decisions (with respect to NATO and its field operations to which it contributes) and accountability to the Parliament and the Australian electorate with regard to where Australias interests with NATO stand, but also where they might diverge.
This includes collaboration on strategic, political and burden-sharing activities.
Australia is not part of NATOs formal partnership structures. Analysts believe that NATO will harden its stance toward China over its refusal to condemn Russia for its war in Ukraine. Australian Prime Minister Heads to NATO Talks in Spain. The last is certainly relevant to the Russian invasion of Ukraine but also has parallels with China and Taiwan, which is why Ukraine is seen as more than a European security issue. 154, no. 5, October 2009, pp. [23] Under the Howard Government, high-level political and military visits and exchanges resulted in closer engagement between Australia and NATO. But the Asia-Pacific partners are also very different countries from one another, and they have their own unique interests in NATO relations. Attending a NATO summit that will heavily address Russia and Ukraine is a way to project unity and to manage the lessons that China is learning from Russias actions and the international response to them. By: Issues regularly discussed by NATO members, such as disarmament and arms control measures, as well as discussions over the proposed anti-missile defence shield, are also areas in which Australia has an active interest. Australian Associated Press, PM Julia Gillard says there is no date set for Oruzgan handover as NATO agrees withdrawal plan for Afghanistan, The Australian, 21 November 2010, viewed 1 December 2010, http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22media%2Fpressclp%2F437265%22. The new Strategic Concept identifies three core tasks for the Alliance over the next decade: In addition to these core tasks, the new Strategic Concept touches upon the following issues: Although the Strategic Concept does not single out any particular country in East Asia (it is less specific than the experts report), it offers an overarching strategic framework and a political consensus towards renewing the Alliance to meet current and future challengesincluding in the Asia Pacific region. [5]. [20] In NATO jargon, Australia is referred to as a partner across the globe or a Contact country which, alongside Japan, the Republic of Korea and New Zealand, shares a similar strategic outlook to the Alliance and espouses key Alliance values. [16] In the geo-political landscape of the 21st century, the report identifies global and region-specific threats, includingin the Asia Pacific regionthe challenge of ongoing India-Pakistan rivalry, and the tense security situation on the Korean Peninsula.
Their intelligence and analysis regarding what is happening in the region is likewise of great interest. The event marked a milestone for the group, which started as an ad hoc coordination mechanism for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Bill Taylor: Even if Russia annexes Ukrainian territory, No one will recognize this Russian claim - MSNBCs Andrea Mitchell Reports. [8], At the 23rd NATO Summit in Strasbourg/Kehl in April 2009, Heads of State/Government tasked the Secretary-General (who was Jaap de Hoop Scheffer until 1 August 2009) with crafting a new Strategic Concept for the Alliance. 
On September 24, President Biden hosted Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga at the White House for the first-ever in-person Quad Leaders Summit. [22], Successive Australian Governments have supported Australias pragmatic collaboration arrangements with NATO, in particular following the terrorist attacks on the US in September 2001. Agreement between the Government of Australia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation on the Security of Information, 26 November 2008, viewed 1 December 2010, http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/jsct/26november2008/report/chapter2.pdf, [28]. See K Rudd (Minister for Foreign Affairs), Ministerial statement on Afghanistan, media release, 21 October 2010, viewed 1 December 2010, http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22chamber%2Fhansardr%2F2010-10-21%2F0016%22, [39]. As the Australian embassy in Brussels noted: The decision by the NATO Riga Summit in November 2006 to strengthen relations with Contact Countriesincluding Australiahas opened up the possibility of increased consultation between the Alliance and countries outside the trans-Atlantic area on global security challenges. [1] From a trans-Atlantic military alliance, formed in 1949 under United States (US) leadership to deter an attack from the Soviet Union during the Cold War, NATO has evolved into a collective security mechanism that now includes post-Communist states. [7]. [41] An official statement by the Australian Government read, in part: In particular, the Summit will be an opportunity for the international community to set out further detail on the objective of Afghan authorities assuming lead responsibility for security in Afghanistan by the end of 2014. 
