NATO to upgrade ties with Australia, New Zealand, South Korea

 

 NATO to upgrade ties with Australia, New Zealand, South Korea

NATO wants to deepen collaboration with its four major partners in the Indo-Pacific, as it simultaneously prepares bilateral cooperation documents with Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea, Nikkei Asia has learned.
 
The alliance will formulate an Individually Tailored Partnership Program (ITPP) with each of the four countries -- an upgrade to a higher form of partnership.
 
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has proposed opening a NATO liaison office in Tokyo next year, but the idea has faced opposition from France, which fears it sends the wrong message to China, and that it may also raise concerns among ASEAN members.
 
One idea floated among NATO members is to characterize the proposed office as a facility for smooth implementation of the four ITPPs. The opening of a liaison office requires the consent of all members, and it is hoped that this approach will win over France.