Argentine Defense Minister Luis Petri announced on Thursday (18) that he has delivered a letter expressing the country’s request to become a global partner of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Western military alliance. This formal request aims to increase Argentina’s military and defensive capabilities through multinational exercises and advanced technology, as well as allowing the country to participate in strategic debates and decisions.
If accepted, Argentina will join a group of nations that already have access to the benefits of participating in the global alliance, such as Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan. It is worth remembering that, since January 1998, Argentina has had the status of major non-NATO ally designated by the United States, which establishes privileges of military and economic cooperation between the two countries.
As a global partner of NATO, Argentina would have access to a series of benefits and opportunities for cooperation with the North Atlantic military alliance. Here are some of them:
- Global partners have the opportunity to participate in training programs and military exercises together with allied NATO forces. This helps to improve the military capabilities and interoperability of Argentine forces with those of NATO.
- Argentina would receive technical and logistical support from NATO. This could include assistance in areas such as military modernization, cyber defence and advanced security strategies.
- As a global partner, Argentina would have the opportunity to participate in debates and discussions on NATO strategic issues. This allows the country to contribute its perspective and expertise on global security issues.
In short, global partner status offers Argentina greater integration with NATO, allowing the country to benefit from military and technological cooperation with one of the world’s most important alliances.
Countries with NATO global partner status:
NATO global partners are countries that regularly cooperate with the alliance, but cannot join NATO due to Article 10, which restricts membership to European countries only¹. These partners have a special relationship with the organization to promote international security and stability. Here are the criteria and benefits for obtaining this status:
- Australia]
- Colombia
- Iraq
- Japan
- Mongolia
- New Zealand
- Pakistan
Argentina’s request:
On April 18, 2024, Argentine Defense Minister Luis Petri announced that he had delivered a letter expressing the country’s request to become a global NATO partner. Argentina seeks to modernize and train its armed forces according to NATO standards.
Malvinas, Falklands
The sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) between Argentina and the United Kingdom is a sensitive and historic issue. Although Argentina has claimed ownership of the islands, the residents of the Falklands voted in a plebiscite in 2013 to remain an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. The geographical proximity of the islands to Argentina and the history of Spanish and Argentine occupation are some of the arguments used by the Argentines to claim ownership.
Operation Rosario and the Falklands War: In 1982, during the military regime in Argentina, the Argentinians launched Operation Rosario, an attempt to recover the islands militarily. This resulted in the Falklands War, which lasted only two months and was won by the British.
President Javier Milei of Argentina recently took part in a ceremony to commemorate the 42nd anniversary of the Falklands War. This conflict took place in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom, in which the Argentines were defeated. During the ceremony, Milei paid tribute to the veterans and soldiers who lost their lives and said that he intends to “start a clear path for the Falklands to become Argentinian again”.
However, the United Kingdom claims that its claim goes back further and that it sent a warship to the islands in 1833 to expel Argentine forces who tried to take possession. The Falklands issue may be a factor in Argentina’s entry as a global NATO partner, but the final decision will depend on several other factors, such as strategic interests, military cooperation and international relations.
*** Translated by DEFCONPress FYI Team ***