Argentina Wants to Join NATO
Buenos Aires would like to become a “global partner” like Colombia, the only South American state with such status
Argentine Defense Minister Luis Petri and NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana meet in Brussels. On this occasion, the intention of the South American country to fully join the Atlantic Pact was presented.
“I met Mircea Geoana, handed him a letter of intent requesting Argentina to become a global partner of this organization. We will continue to work to rebuild ties that will allow us to modernize and train our forces to NATO standards,” Petri wrote in a post on X social media.
The meeting with Geoana took place at the end of the minister’s European tour, during which he visited Denmark, where he signed a contract for the purchase of 24 F-16 fighter jets with the “blessing” of the United States. Argentina has had “non-NATO ally” status since the 1990s and now would like to move to “global partner” status like Colombia, the only South American country to have such status.
“It was a great pleasure to welcome Defense Minister Petri to NATO Headquarters,” said Geoana. “Argentina plays an important role in Latin America, and I welcome today’s request to explore the possibility of becoming a NATO partner. NATO works with a number of countries around the world to promote peace and stability. Closer political and practical cooperation could benefit both sides.”
The meeting discussed security at the European and Latin American level. Buenos Aires has already contributed to some NATO “peace support” operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Kosovo.
Buenos Aires’s acceptance requires the agreement of all 32 allies, with the biggest possible obstacle being Britain, with which Argentina has an “eternal” dispute related to the Falklands/Malvinas Islands.