New RD Publication: What NATO contribution to the security architecture of the Indo-Pacific?

• NDC Policy Brief 21-19: What NATO contribution to the security architecture of the Indo-Pacific?, by Jean-Loup Samaan*.

On 3rd April, 2019 in Washington, DC, US Vice President
Mike Pence addressed an audience of Western
current and former statesmen gathered to celebrate
the 70th anniversary of NATO. After taking stock of
the Alliance’s accomplishments over the previous
decades, Pence ventured on the emerging challenges
and touched on an unexpected subject, the Indo-Pacific
region: “By working together, we can maintain
a free and open Indo-Pacific where independent nations
boldly pursue their own interests”. 1

Although the Indo-Pacific has by now become
a central feature of policy discussions in the US, it
has been relatively absent from talks within NATO
circles, as the issue is perceived as a matter lying
outside the organization’s mandate. But security developments
in this region do matter for its member
countries. Moreover, there are ways the organization
could play a significant role in the Indo-Pacific without
compromising its pre-existing priorities. Against
that backdrop, this Policy Brief aims to contribute to
the emerging discussion on NATO’s engagement in
the Indo-Pacific by first providing an appraisal of the policy implications of the US strategy towards the
region, and then identifying realistic expectations for
a NATO engagement in the Indo-Pacific.

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