New horizon

The subject of this report is the evolution of NATO's approach to the Indo-Pacific and its implications for Poland's security policy. For a long time, the countries of this region based their relations with the Alliance on occasional support for its activities and selective participation in partnership programmes. A similarity in thinking about the most significant challenges, mainly those related to China, has resulted in intensive dialogue since 2020 and new forms of cooperation with Australia, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand (the so-called AP4 countries).

The Indo-Pacific has inevitably become an increasingly important region globally. Its prioritisation by the USA means that the European allies need to develop an appropriate policy. This policy must also consider new realities such as ever closer Russian-Chinese cooperation, which links the Indo-Pacific with the European theatre. Cooperation with the AP4 is not only a component of NATO's new approach but also a significant element of the European Union's geopolitical transformation. The potential benefits of developing partnerships with the AP4 countries should outweigh concerns about a shift in NATO's priorities.