Argentine Defense Minister Luis Petri delivered a formal request on Thursday to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to have Argentina join as a global partner.
If successfully approved by all 32 member states, Argentina would become NATO’s second global partner in South America after Colombia.
Global partner status would allow Argentina to have access to NATO’s cooperation programs, but would not confer it full member status, as Article 10 of NATO’s chart restricts full member status eligibility to European nations only. Global partners do not have to abide by the provisions of Article 5 – which states that an attack on one NATO country must be treated as an attack against all – as such provisions are limited only to full members of the alliance.
Petri presented the request on behalf of the Argentine government during his official visit to Brussels, Belgium, where he met with NATO’s Deputy General Secretary Mircea Geoană. Geoană welcomed Argentina’s bid to join the organization as a partner.
“Argentina plays an important role in Latin America, and I welcome today’s request to explore becoming a NATO partner,” Geoană said. “NATO works with a range of countries around the world to promote peace and stability. Closer political and practical cooperation could benefit us both”:
Petri, after the meeting with Geoană, stated in a social media post, “At the instruction of President Javier Milei, at NATO headquarters, we reaffirmed our commitment to countries that embrace freedom and the values of democracy, in the face of authoritarianism and autocracies worldwide.”
The Argentine defense minister continued by explaining that NATO global partner status would provide Argentina with benefits such as optimal training for its armed forces, access to equipment and information, support in cyber defense, and “cooperation for a high-level strategic dialogue on world events and the priorities of an Argentina integrated to the liberal democracies of the world.”
Upon taking office, libertarian President Javier Milei vowed to realign Argentina’s foreign policy, making the United States and Israel its top allies. Milei’s foreign policy marks a dramatic shift after nearly two decades of socialist governments pushed the South American nation towards China, Iran, and Russia.
Milei has also vowed to “modernize” Argentina’s armed forces, which previous leftist administrations left in a state of neglect. Milei tasked Defense Minister Petri to revamp the nation’s military arsenal and reinforce the armed forces’ role in the fight against drug-trafficking and terrorism.
In late December, Milei approved a major restructuring of the Argentine military that saw the retirement of more than 30 high-ranking members. Milei’s military shakedown was the second-largest of its kind in Argentina after the one carried out by late President Raúl Alfonsín in 1983 during Argentina’s return to democracy.
The U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires announced on Thursday evening that the United States is providing $40 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) to support Argentina’s defense modernization plans, marking the first time the South American nation receives FMF funding since 2003.
“FMF enables Argentina to purchase U.S. defense articles, training, and services via grant assistance and enhances interoperability with U.S. forces,” the embassy explained, adding that the funding provided will support Argentina’s recent $320 million purchase of 24 F-16 supersonic jets from Denmark.
Argentina’s Defense Minister Luis Alfonso Petri (3rd L), Denmark’s Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen (2nd R) and delegation members pose in front of one of the F-16 planes Argentina is buying from Denmark during a press event of the sidelines of an agreement signing on the purchase of Danish F-16 aircraft at Skrydstrup Air Base, Denmark, on April 16, 2024. Argentina signed a contract to buy 24 Danish F-16 combat aircraft. (Bo Amstrup / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP) / Denmark OUT).
“Argentina’s purchase of 24 F-16s from Denmark brings Argentina into alignment with a group of 26 nations and allies who operate the platform, increasing interoperability,” the U.S. embassy statement continued. “The F-16s will enable Argentina to both more effectively defend its homeland and cooperate with regional partners to enhance peace and stability in America.”
Milei was slated to travel to Denmark alongside Defense Minister Petri for the purchase of the F-16 jets and reportedly underwent all the required medical examinations to be able to co-pilot one of the planes during a test flight, but he ultimately canceled his attendance in the wake of Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel.
The FMF funding provided to Argentina follows United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) Commander Gen. Laura J. Richardson’s recent three-day visit to Argentina, where both countries discussed the subject of defense and security cooperation.
During Richardson’s visit, Milei asserted that Argentina and the United States share a “cultural DNA” that’s based on “the ideas of freedom and the defense of life and private property” after signing a new deal for the lease of an additional C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft for Argentina’s Air Force.LEGENDARY:
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Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.