Faces of NATO: Dutch Diplomacy in Australia

Blog post | 19-06-2025 | Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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Strong NATO engagement

Australia is not a NATO member but it remains closely involved with the Alliance. Alongside Japan, South Korea and New Zealand, it is one of NATO’s key partners in the Indo-Pacific. These countries work with NATO on security, cyber defence, innovation and resilience.

“Australia is primarily focused on the Indo-Pacific, the United States and the United Kingdom. But the war in Ukraine has shown how developments in Europe can also affect this region, for example through supply chains or availability of raw materials,” Yousra explains.

Explaining NATO in the Indo-Pacific

From 2022 to 2024, the Embassy of the Netherlands in Canberra served, together with the Embassy of Croatia, as NATO’s official Contact Point Embassy in Australia. “We organised public diplomacy activities for policymakers, defence partners and other stakeholders. These included information briefings, events and working visits. We helped explain what NATO does and what it doesn’t.”

Many countries in the region are concerned about the actions of neighbouring powers like China, Russia and North Korea. “That’s why NATO Allies, including the Netherlands, are paying close attention to a secure and stable Indo-Pacific,” says Yousra. “The Netherlands is committed to maintaining strong diplomatic, security and economic ties in the region.”

Taking disinformation seriously

Australia has robust policies in place to counter disinformation, but the threat hasn’t disappeared. “Even here, harmful narratives can gain traction, for instance through social media or bots. Australia is technologically advanced, but just like the Netherlands, it also has its own vulnerabilities. That’s why knowledge-sharing is so important.”

NATO, she emphasises, is about more than defence and maintaining peace. “It’s also about cybersecurity, climate security, and themes like Women, Peace and Security. That broader agenda resonates here.

Working together and learning from each other

Yousra regularly supports visiting delegations and helps develop tailored policy programmes. One example is the visit of several NATO Assistant Secretary Generals to Australia. “That involves setting up meetings with local partners, organising working visits and making sure NATO’s story is communicated clearly through podcasts, interviews and other channels.”

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Australia and the Netherlands: like-minded partners

The relationship between the Netherlands and Australia is a close one. “Australia sees the Netherlands as one of its most like-minded partners in Europe. That helps when setting up joint initiatives. Australia brings valuable expertise, for example in countering right-wing extremism. Meanwhile, the Netherlands has extensive experience in tackling Islamist extremism. We actively exchange knowledge and experiences.”

The Hague NATO Summit: relevant to Australia too

Australia is likely to attend the NATO Summit in The Hague in June 2025. “For Australians, it’s not a distant event,” Yousra says. “Earlier this year, they joined the Coalition of the Willing supporting Ukraine. The topics on the summit’s agenda directly affect their policies. And there is growing attention here for the question: what if the US were to adopt a more restrained global role?”

Ready for a new chapter

In August, Yousra will return to the Netherlands for a new role at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “I’ve learned a lot about NATO policy, international security, and how to make complex topics accessible. I’m leaving this work behind with confidence in my successor. And of course, I’ll be following the NATO Summit closely. Who will attend, what will be decided? I hope the cooperation with Australia will continue to deepen. There’s a lot of potential there.”