Argentina applies for NATO 'global partner' status

According to ABC News on April 19, this request was made during talks on regional security challenges between NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana and Argentine Defense Minister Luis Petri in Brussels (Belgium).

Mr. Geoana welcomed Argentina's efforts to become a recognized partner in the alliance. "Argentina plays an important role in Latin America. Closer political and practical cooperation can benefit both Argentina and NATO," he added.

NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana (right) and Argentine Defense Minister Luis Petri in Brussels (Belgium) on April 18, 2024

NATO's global partners include nine countries: Afghanistan, Australia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Pakistan, Iraq, Colombia, and Mongolia. NATO's "global partners" are "below the level of allies" for countries outside of NATO's geographic area and are not required to participate in collective military action. NATO membership is currently limited to European countries, Turkey, Canada, and the United States.

Granting a country “global partnership” status does not mean that NATO allies will come to its defense in the event of an attack. This commitment is limited to full members of the alliance – as enshrined in Article 5 of NATO’s founding treaty.

Closer to the West?

Argentine President Javier Milei said the partnership could give his country access to advanced technology, security systems and training programs that it did not have before. Argentina, under Milei, is pursuing an agenda to revive an economy that has been battered by years of protectionist trade measures, deficit spending and international debt.

Talks between NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana and Argentine Defense Minister Luis Petri in Brussels (Belgium) on April 18, 2024

In addition, in the past 4 months of his presidency, Javier Milei has gradually reshaped Argentina's foreign policy. Accordingly, after refusing to join the BRICS bloc led by Russia and China, Javier Milei seeks security benefits by getting closer to Western countries and the United States.

The US government announced on April 18 that it would provide Argentina with $40 million in foreign military funding for the first time in more than two decades. The money will help Argentina equip and modernize its military, as well as pay for 24 US F-16 fighter jets that Argentina bought from Denmark earlier this week.

Argentine Defense Minister Petri hailed the purchase of the fighter jets as "the most important military sale" since 1983.

Formal cooperation with NATO requires the consent of all 32 members of the alliance. Argentina's relationship with Britain (a key NATO ally) has been strained since 1982, when the two sides had a dispute over the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic.

Russia's response

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that Russia will not "change" the entire bilateral agenda with Argentina, just because of the Latin American country's global partnership with NATO, according to TASS news agency on April 18.

According to Mr. Ryabkov, Russia and Argentina maintain good dialogue at many different levels, while emphasizing that the two countries have enough bilateral issues to discuss.

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