Partnering for success: NATO’s approach to enhancing strategic relations with partner countries

This article explores the factors influencing NATO’s level of engagement with partner countries, arguing that the alliance prioritises ties with states that demonstrate increased potential for substantial strategic contributions to the alliance. Using a mixed-methods approach, we combine a regression analysis of an original dataset of NATO partnerships between 1991 and 2023 with elite interviews involving NATO officials working on managing the alliance’s partnerships. The findings follow two main threads. The statistical analysis highlights NATO’s preference for pursuing closer partnerships with states equipped with advanced weapons platforms and military modernisation potential, across multiple measures and robustness tests. These capabilities signal reliability, operational utility and burden-sharing potential, consistent with a logic of external balancing through flexible partnerships. Our interview insights illustrate NATO’s shift towards flexible, bilaterally tailored partnership frameworks, enabling partners to maximise their collaboration potential while strengthening the alliance’s capacity to address common threats. These findings have significant policy implications, providing insight into how the alliance leverages partnerships to address regional instability, bolster internal cohesion and ensure long-term effectiveness.