Four European countries with a long tradition of neutrality want to “expand” relations with NATO and move closer to the alliance

Four neutral European countries that are not members of NATO, namely Austria, Switzerland, Ireland and Malta, seek to get closer to the North Atlantic Alliance in the context of the deterioration of the security situation in Europe after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the daily writes on Tuesday Austrian Die Presse, quoted by EFE and Agerpres.

As early as last December, diplomats from these four countries sent the Alliance “a two-page letter” in which they mentioned that they wanted to “expand” relations with NATO, according to the Austrian publication.

Both NATO and the Austrian Foreign Ministry confirmed that the respective four neutral countries, also known as WEP4, “have been looking for a long time to increase the dialogue with the Alliance”, writes Die Presse.

In the letter, the signatories mention that the security situation in Europe has deteriorated substantially and remains volatile, which is why the WEP4 countries, which are already “NATO’s closest partners”, want to strengthen military cooperation, and in the context of the war of aggression in Ukraine, collaboration with the Alliance acquires “increasing importance”.

The letter also includes some proposals for intensifying this cooperation, such as conducting additional joint military exercises or a “privileged access to documents and information” of the Alliance.

Motivating this initiative, the Austrian foreign ministry told the daily newspaper Die Presse that it is due to a harsher “geopolitical wind”.

Although he admitted that in Austria’s case neutrality does not create security, the same ministry assured that Austria still does not intend to join NATO, unlike Finland or Sweden. Austria has been collaborating with NATO since 1995 within the “Partnership for Peace”.

Editor: Adrian Dumitru