NATO and Indo-Pacific Partners: A USIP Expert Study Group Report

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and its four partner countries in the Indo-Pacific – Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and New Zealand – have entered a period of increased engagement. This engagement is taking shape in the context of the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine, NATO’s growing awareness of the security challenges posed by the People’s Republic of China and important structural changes in the international system, including the return of strategic competition between the United States and China and Russia. It is occurring not only in bilateral NATO-partner relations, but also between NATO and these Indo-Pacific countries as a group, known informally as the Indo-Pacific Partners.

To increase understanding of Indo-Pacific partner perspectives on NATO, as well as the dynamics of NATO and Indo-Pacific partner relations, the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) convened a study group which brought together experts from Australia, Europe, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, and North America.

The report, based on the deliberations of the study group, was jointly launched in Brussels by the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS) and USIP. The event presented the findings  of the report and it discussed the opportunities and complexities of the relationship between NATO and its Indo-Pacific partners.

Concept and Programme

Read the USIP Report