Argentina’s Milei government took a significant step on Thursday, April 18th, by officially submitting an application to join NATO, marking the first move towards becoming a NATO global partner.
Argentina’s Defense Minister Luis Petri submitted the membership application to NATO Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoană at NATO headquarters on Thursday. The two sides held discussions on the partnership between NATO and Argentina.
“I am delighted to welcome Defense Minister Petri to NATO headquarters,” Geoană said. “Argentina plays a vital role in Latin America, and I welcome the request made by Argentina today to become a NATO member.”
He emphasized that NATO collaborates with many countries worldwide to promote peace and stability. “Closer political and practical cooperation is beneficial for both parties,” Geoană added.
The two leaders exchanged views on security challenges in Europe and Latin America. Geoană praised Argentina for its humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, including providing food, medicines, and support for refugees.
Political dialogue between NATO and Argentina began in the early 1990s. Argentina has previously contributed to NATO peace support operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as Kosovo.
Currently, Colombia is NATO’s only partner country in Latin America.
Any decision regarding joining NATO and becoming an official partner requires consensus from all 32 member countries.
President Javier Milei has repeatedly expressed his desire to establish closer ties with the West.
After submitting the formal request to NATO on behalf of Argentina, Petri posted on social media, “I met with NATO Deputy Secretary-General Geoană. I handed him a letter of intent, which includes Argentina’s request to become a global partner of the organization.”
Sweden officially joined NATO in March. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, traditionally neutral Sweden and Finland have felt uneasy, prompting both countries to apply for NATO membership. Finland, which shares a 1340-kilometer border with Russia, has already taken steps towards joining the alliance.