Eng. / Fr.

NATO – New Zealand cooperation

The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Ms Helen Clark and NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer (Oct 2007)

In addition to its formal partnerships1, NATO cooperates with a range of countries that are not part of these structures. Referred to as Contact Countries, they typically share similar strategic concerns and key Alliance values. Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand are all examples of Contact Countries.

NATO and New Zealand share a commonality of democratic values and political and strategic interests. In line with this convergence, New Zealand and NATO are exploring further ways in which to enhance bilateral cooperation. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer was the first ever NATO Secretary General to visit New Zealand in March 2005.

New Zealand provides a valuable contribution to NATO’s mission in Afghanistan, where it leads one of the international community’s Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) in Bamyan. New Zealand has also contributed to the Alliance’s operations in the Balkans.

  1. The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, the Partnership for Peace, the Mediterranean Dialogue and the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative..