The military cooperation between NATO and its Indo-Pacific partners South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand “will further intensify” to deter adversarial moves by Russia and China, Royal Netherlands Navy Adm. Rob Bauer said on Tuesday.
In his keynote address at the opening of the Seoul Defense Dialogue in South Korea, Bauer, who serves as NATO Military Committee chair, stressed how security in the European and Asian regions is inextricably linked.
Setting up multiple layers of cooperation will help better prepare against all types of scenarios in any geographical area, he said. The admiral cited South Korea as a leading example with its sustained support of Ukraine.
Bauer also highlighted NATO’s work with its Indo-Pacific partnership programs, tackling the European and Asian regions’ shared security concerns in such areas as arms control, cyber defense, climate change and maritime safety.
There are joint efforts to increase interoperability as well, with Indo-Pacific partners increasing their participation in NATO and allied military exercises. in August, South Korea and the United States conducted the joint exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield. “This training against an all-out war scenario bolstered the joint readiness,” Bauer said.