In an increasingly tumultuous geopolitical landscape, New Zealand's role on the international stage is increasing in importance.
New Zealand, along with many others, has been invited to attend next week’s 2023 NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. It will be a good opportunity to re-engage with traditional partners and re-emphasise rules-based orders.
It has been some time coming.
In 1986, the USA suspended its ANZUS Treaty obligations in response to our nuclear-free policy. For the first time since 1951, New Zealand was outside any formal regional security agreement.
In 1991, Australia established a Closer Defence Relationship Agreement with New Zealand. It emphasised defence force interoperability for more effective combined operations. Combined ANZAC security operations in Bougainville, East Timor, and the Solomon Islands proved its worth.
New Zealand has continued to be a good international citizen, making contributions to UN- and NATO-sponsored operations in Somalia, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Emerging threats have seen the USA encourage NATO engagement in the Asia-Pacific. Those threats include China’s hardening intentions regarding Taiwan, its assertiveness in the China Seas, and North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile capabilities.
In 2019, the US enhanced its maritime-focussed Quadrilateral Security Dialogue with Australia, India and Japan. In 2021 the US concluded a pact with the UK and Australia (AUKUS), aiming to strengthen Western military deterrence in the Asia-Pacific.
NATO has engaged on regional security matters with its Indo-Pacific partners, New Zealand, Australia, Japan and South Korea, who were invited to attend the 2022 Madrid NATO Summit. Prior to that, they agreed to cooperate as NATO partners.
Top of the agenda at next week’s summit is a pathway for Ukraine to be brought into the Euro-Atlantic Security Order.
New Zealand has committed to contributing personnel, military assets, funding and intelligence to support Ukraine to defend itself and repel the Russian invasion.
New Zealand’s exclusion from ANZUS meant banishment from the inner circles of major Western defence and security bodies. New Zealand’s participation in NATO Summits, and its strengthening relationship within the Indo-Pacific 4 forum, is important.
New Zealand is a small nation, earning much of its income from exporting its goods to distant markets. It has few credible defence assets. Partnership with militarily powerful nations to protect our trading lines is clearly in our national interests.
It’s time for New Zealand to resume its role in support of our more powerful friends, to secure those interests for the coming decades.