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Australia will reinforce its growing strategic partnership with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) this week, with Minister for Defence Industry and Minister for Pacific Island Affairs Pat Conroy travelling to Türkiye to attend the alliance’s 77th NATO summit.
The visit reflects Australia’s increasingly close cooperation with NATO as both sides respond to a rapidly evolving global security environment marked by heightened great power competition, regional instability and the growing interconnection between the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific theatres.
Although not a NATO member, Australia is one of the alliance’s four Indo-Pacific partners, alongside Japan, the Republic of Korea and New Zealand. The relationship has expanded significantly over the past two decades, encompassing cooperation on cyber security, emerging technologies, defence innovation, resilience, maritime security and support for Ukraine.
Australia has maintained a formal partnership with NATO since 2005 and has worked alongside alliance members in operations including Afghanistan.
More recently, Canberra and NATO have strengthened collaboration through the Individually Tailored Partnership Program, which provides a framework for practical cooperation across defence, security and emerging strategic challenges.
During the summit, Conroy is expected to participate in discussions with NATO leaders and allied nations on shared security priorities while also holding a series of bilateral meetings focused on defence industrial cooperation, capability development and opportunities for Australian industry to strengthen partnerships with European defence companies.
The visit also comes as Australia continues its support for Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion. Last month, the Australian government announced a further $100 million in military assistance, adding to the nation’s extensive package of defence equipment, training and humanitarian support provided since the conflict began.
Conroy said Australia’s partnership with NATO reflected the increasingly interconnected nature of global security.
“In an increasingly complex and challenging world, Australia’s partnership with NATO serves to support a world that is peaceful, stable and prosperous,” he said.
“While our regions may be far apart, our interests are increasingly connected and cooperation is vital to our shared security, resilience and opportunity."
For Australia, engagement with NATO complements its network of regional and global security partnerships, including the ANZUS Alliance, AUKUS, the Five Eyes intelligence partnership and the Quad.
Together, these relationships are intended to strengthen deterrence, support the rules-based international order and enhance collective resilience against shared threats, ranging from state aggression to cyber attacks and emerging technologies.
As strategic competition intensifies across both Europe and the Indo-Pacific, Australia’s participation at the NATO summit underscores Canberra’s determination to work more closely with like-minded partners in addressing challenges that increasingly transcend traditional regional boundaries.
Stephen Kuper
Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.
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