Major non-NATO ally

Major non-NATO ally (MNNA) is a designation given by the United States government to countries that have strategic working relationships with the U.S. Armed Forces while not being members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). While the status does not automatically constitute a mutual defense pact (as would be the case through NATO membership) with the United States, it does confer a variety of military and financial advantages that are otherwise unobtainable by non-NATO countries. There are currently 19 major non-NATO allies across four continents: 11 in Asia, 3 in Africa, 3 in South America, and 2 in Oceania.

  United States

  Major non-NATO allies

  Former major non-NATO allies (Afghanistan)

  NATO members

Note: political borders on this map do not correspond to those officially recognized by the United States government.

History

MNNA status was first created in 1987,^[1] when Congress added section 2350a — otherwise known as the Sam Nunn Amendment — to Title 10 of the United States Code.^[2] It stipulated that cooperative research and development agreements could be enacted with non-NATO allies by the Secretary of Defense with the concurrence of the Secretary of State. The initial MNNAs were Australia, Egypt, Israel, Japan, and South Korea.^[1] In 1996, major non-NATO allies received additional military and financial benefits when section 2321k was added to Title 22 of the United States Code (also known as section 517 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961), which added MNNAs to many of the same exemptions from the Arms Export Control Act that were enjoyed by NATO members. It also authorized the President to designate a country as an MNNA thirty days after notifying Congress.^[3] When enacted, the statute designated the initial five countries as major non-NATO allies, and added Jordan and New Zealand to the list.

Taiwan

When Congress enacted the Foreign Relations Authorization Act for FY 2003 on September 30, 2002, it required that Taiwan be "treated as though it were designated a major non-NATO ally."^[4] Despite some initial misgivings about Congress's perceived intrusion into the President's foreign affairs authority, the Bush administration subsequently submitted a letter to Congress on August 29, 2003, designating Taiwan as an MNNA.^[4]

Argentina

In 1998, President Bill Clinton named Argentina as an MNNA for the "Argentine compromise and contribution to international peace and security" that was materialized in its participation in the Gulf War (Argentina was the only South American country to join the coalition's fight against Iraq), and for its continuing support for United Nations peacekeeping missions.^[5][6]

New Zealand

U.S.–New Zealand strategic and military cooperation suffered a setback after the breakdown of the ANZUS Treaty in 1984, triggered by disagreements over nuclear ship entry. The designation of New Zealand as an MNNA in 1997 reflected the warming of bilateral relations between the two countries. In June 2012, New Zealand signed a partnership arrangement with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), further strengthening and consolidating relations with the United States.

Brazil

In 2019, President Donald Trump designated Brazil as an MNNA^[7] for "Brazil’s recent commitments to increase defense cooperation with the United States" after receiving a working visit from his Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro.^[8]

 

NSA Bahrain base is home to US Naval Forces Central Command and US Fifth Fleet

 

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis meets with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during a meeting held at the Pentagon, April 5, 2017

Colombia

In March 2022, President Joe Biden designated Colombia as an MNNA, stating: "I've said for a long time Colombia is a keystone to our shared efforts to build a hemisphere as prosperous, secure and democratic ... Today I'm proud to announce that I intend to designate Colombia a major non-NATO ally ... that's exactly what you are."^[9]

Tunisia

In May 2015, President Barack Obama declared his intention to designate Tunisia as an MNNA while hosting his Tunisian counterpart Beji Caid Essebsi at the White House.^[10][11]

Pakistan

The designation of certain countries as MNNAs has not been without controversy, as has been the case with Pakistan, which was designated as an MNNA by President George W. Bush in 2002.^[12][13] In 2017, Ted Poe (R–TX) and Rick Nolan (D–MN) from the House of Representatives introduced H.R. 3000; a bill to revoke Pakistan's position as an MNNA, citing inadequate counterterrorism efforts, the harboring of Osama bin Laden, and consistent Pakistani support for the Taliban.^[14] The bill never received a vote, but in 2021, U.S. Representative Andy Biggs introduced H.R. 35 — another version of the legislation.

In 2017, Joseph Dunford, erstwhile chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, accused Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence of having ties to terrorist groups.^[15] Reuters reported that "possible Trump administration responses being discussed include expanding U.S. drone strikes and perhaps eventually downgrading Pakistan's status as a major non-NATO ally."^[16] In January 2023, Biggs introduced a bill to remove Pakistan's MNNA status.^[17]

Qatar

On January 31, 2022, President Joe Biden announced that Qatar would be designated as an MNNA, citing its assistance during the United States' withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.^[18]

Southeast Asia

Around the same time as Taiwan's admission, invitations were sent to Thailand and the Philippines, both of which accepted the offer.

Singapore, a long-term host of a U.S. Air Force "training" squadron and a major U.S. Navy non-home port, was reportedly offered a similar arrangement as the Philippines and Thailand, but turned down the offer to allay concerns of its neighbors of strong Singaporean military ties with Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Israel.^[19][20] However, in October 2003, President George W. Bush and his Singaporean counterpart Goh Chok Tong announced their intention to conclude a major bilateral Strategic Framework Agreement for a Closer Cooperation Partnership in Defence and Security (SFA), the details of which remained secret; it was signed on July 12, 2005.^[19][21]

Potential MNNAs

Some countries might be close to a designation:^[22]

Armenia

See also: Armenia–NATO relations

Though Armenia is currently a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which is headed by Russia, there have been calls for the country to withdraw from the alliance and realign its security needs with NATO.^[23][24] Several politicians and political parties have called on the Armenian government to either seek full membership in NATO or become an MNNA.^[25] The European Party of Armenia and the National Democratic Pole have campaigned in favor of Armenia's membership in NATO, while the Armenian National Movement Party calls for developing deeper relations with NATO.^{[26][27][28][29]} The Helsinki Citizens' Assembly presented a document of recommendations to American politician Nancy Pelosi during her visit to Yerevan in September 2022; one of the recommendations was to provide MNNA status to Armenia.^[30] Some American politicians, such as Sam Brownback, have also campaigned for Armenia to be granted MNNA status. On 21 June 2023, Brownback stated: "Armenia is a natural long-term ally of the United States. Armenia must be given major non-NATO ally status of the U.S."^[31][32]

Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova

See also: Ukraine–NATO relations, Georgia–NATO relations, and Moldova–NATO relations

In 2014, after Russia's annexation of Crimea formally triggered the Russo-Ukrainian War, a bill was introduced to Congress to grant MNNA status to Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.^[33] Russia has been occupying parts of Georgia since the Russo-Georgian War in 2008, and Russian troops have also stationed in Moldova's breakaway state of Transnistria since the 1990s. In May 2019, a bill to designate Ukraine as an MNNA was introduced into the House of Representatives.^[34] As of 2022^[update], these changes have not been made, despite support from the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.^[35]

Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Oman

During a 2015 summit at Camp David with members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Obama administration considered designating Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Qatar as MNNAs.^[36] Qatar has since been designated a MNNA by the Biden administration in 2022.

Iraq

Since 2008, Iraq and the United States have a strategic partnership that was formalized in their Strategic Framework Agreement. It covers a range of areas, including security, economics, and culture. The United States has provided military and economic aid to Iraq since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Following the rise of the Islamic State in the mid-2010s, American troops were again deployed to Iraq in order to support the Iraqi military in their fight against the militant group. Although American troops withdrew from Iraq in 2021, the United States has continued to provide military and economic assistance to the Iraqi government.^[37]

India

In June 2019, American lawmakers provided for enhancements to the strategic status of India, though this fell short of designating the country as an MNNA.^[38][39]

Sweden

See also: Sweden–NATO relations

According to news reports from Finland in early March 2022, Sweden had begun plans to apply for MNNA status in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.^[40][41][42] Since then, Sweden has instead sought full NATO membership.^[43][44]

Benefits

Countries designated as MNNAs are eligible for the following benefits:^[45]

• Entry into cooperative research and development projects with the Department of Defense (DoD) on a shared-cost basis;
• Participation in certain counterterrorism initiatives;
• Purchase of depleted uranium anti-tank rounds;
• Priority delivery of military surplus (ranging from military rations to naval ships);
• Possession of War Reserve Stocks of DoD-owned equipment that are kept outside of American military bases;
• Loans of equipment and materials for cooperative research and development projects and evaluations;
• Permission to use American financing for the purchase or lease of certain defense equipment;
• Reciprocal training;
• Expedited export processing of space technology;
• Permission for the country's corporations to bid on certain DoD contracts for the repair and maintenance of military equipment outside of the United States.

Major partners

Israel as a major strategic partner

Further information: Israel–United States military relations

The House of Representatives passed the United States–Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014 in December of that year.^[46] This new category would have placed Israel one notch above the MNNA classification and would have added additional support for defense and energy infrastructure, in addition to strengthened cooperation through business and academics.^[47] The bill additionally called for the increasing of American war reserve stock in Israel to US$1.8 billion.^[47] The bill did not reach a vote, and thus did not pass or become law.

India as a major defense partner

In 2016, the United States recognized India as a "major defense partner"; this occurred less than a month after the House of Representatives passed the India Defense Technology and Partnership Act.^[48] This allowed India to buy more advanced and sensitive technologies on par with those of the United States' closest allies and partners.^[49] The United States has four "foundational agreements" signed with India.^{[citation needed]}

Vietnam as a major strategic partner

Further information: United States-Vietnam relations

Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and Joseph R. Biden, the President of the United States met and spoke on September 10, 2023, in Hanoi, Vietnam. By transforming their relationship into a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the benefit of peace, cooperation, and sustainable development, the two Leaders celebrated the beginning of a new era in their nations' mutual cooperation and friendship.^[50]

List of MNNAs

Current MNNAs

The following countries are listed in chronological order of their designation as MNNAs by the United States government. In addition, an act provides that Taiwan shall be treated as a MNNA, without formal designation as such:^{[51][52][53][54]}

 

South Korean soldiers and a US Army officer monitor the Korean Demilitarized Zone in 2008

 

Australian Defence Force, New Zealand Defence Force and US Army personnel conduct medevac training exercises at Camp Taji, Iraq, in 2018

 

An Egyptian F-16C Block 40 with a USN F/A-18 Hornet and a USAF F-15 Eagle during Bright Star 05

President	Country	Year	Note
Ronald Reagan	Australia	1987	^[1]
	Egypt
	Israel
	Japan
	South Korea
Bill Clinton	Jordan	1996	^[55]
	New Zealand	1997	^[3]
	Argentina	1998	^[56]
George W. Bush	Bahrain	2002	^[57]
	Philippines	2003	^[58]
	Thailand		^[59]
	Taiwan		^[4]
	Kuwait	2004	^[60]
	Morocco		^[61]
	Pakistan		^[62]
Barack Obama
	Tunisia	2015	^[63]
Donald Trump	Brazil	2019	^[64]^[65]
Joe Biden	Qatar	2022	^[66]^[67]
	Colombia		^[9]^[68]

Former MNNA

•   Afghanistan (2012–2022): Designated by the Obama administration in 2012,^[69][70] and effectively ceased to function as an MNNA after the American-allied Islamic Republic fell to the Taliban during the 2021 Taliban offensive. The Biden administration formally notified Congress of its revocation of Afghanistan's MNNA status in July 2022.^[71][72] Afghanistan is currently governed by the Taliban, under the unrecognized Islamic Emirate.

See also

• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
• Foreign relations of NATO (including NATO global partners)
• Arab–Israeli alliance against Iran
• AUKUS
• ANZUS
• International Maritime Security Construct
• Quadrilateral Security Dialogue
• List of military alliances
• Balkan Pact

References

1. Fisher, Dan (February 16, 1987). "U.S. Is Granting Israel Non-NATO Ally Status : Move Should Bring Strategic and Economic Gains, Shamir Says; Egypt Gets Same Rating". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
2. Title 10, section 2350a of US Code 2012-07-21 at the Wayback Machine
3. 22 U.S.C. § 2321k
4. Kan, Shirley (December 2009). Taiwan: Major U.S. Arms Sales Since 1990. DIANE Publishing. p. 52. ISBN 978-1-4379-2041-3.
5. "Argentina, gran aliado extra-OTAN" [Argentina great ally extra-NATO]. Perfil (in Spanish). April 29, 2016. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
6. "Polémica por la designación como aliado extra-OTAN" [Controversy over designation as extra-NATO ally]. Clarín (in Spanish). October 10, 1997. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
7. "Major Non-NATO Ally Status". United States Department of State. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
8. Vandiver, John (May 9, 2019). "Trump bumps up Brazil to 'major non-NATO' ally". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
9. Samuels, Brett (March 10, 2022). "Biden designates Colombia as major non-NATO ally". The Hill. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
10. "Presidential Memorandum -- Designation of the Republic of Tunisia as a Major Non-NATO Ally". whitehouse.gov. July 10, 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
11. Baker, Peter (May 21, 2015). "Obama Upgrades Tunisia's Status as a U.S. Ally". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
12. . April 24, 2012. Archived from the original on April 24, 2012. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
13. Riedel, Bruce O. (2013), Avoiding Armageddon: America, India, and Pakistan to the Brink and Back, Brookings Institution Press, pp. 170, 216, ISBN 978-0-8157-2408-7
14. "CONGRESSMEN POE AND NOLAN INTRODUCE BILL REVOKING PAKISTAN'S MNNA STATUS". Retrieved July 31, 2017.
15. Javaid, Osama Bin. "General Dunford: Pakistan intelligence has links to 'terrorists'". Al Jazeera. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
16. Ali, Idrees; Stewart, Phil (October 3, 2017). "Mattis says will try to work with Pakistan 'one more time'". Reuters. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
17. "US Lawmaker Moves Bill To Remove Pakistan As Major Non-NATO Ally". NDTV. January 18, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
18. Shear, Michael D. (January 31, 2022). "Biden Designates Qatar as a Major Non-NATO Ally". The New York Times. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
19. Huxley, Tim (July 30, 2012). "Singapore and the US: not quite allies". The Strategist. Australian Strategic Policy Institute. from the original on August 2, 2012. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
20. Graham, Euan (December 10, 2015). "The US-Singapore enhanced defence agreement: A third upgrade for bilateral collaboration". The Interpreter. The Lowy Institute. from the original on August 26, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
21. "Strategic Framework Agreement for a Closer Cooperation Partnership in Defense and Security". US Department of State. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
22. Bazhenova, Olga (April 2021). "The Major non-NATO Ally Status: Characteristics, Chronology, Geographical Distribution". International Organisations Research Journal. 16 (1): 162–171. doi:10.17323/1996-7845-2021-01-08. S2CID 236278254.
23. "Armenia's Pashinyan gives up Karabakh, abandons Russia-led CSTO". www.euractiv.com. May 23, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
24. "Demonstration calls on Armenia to leave Moscow-led military alliance". euronews. September 19, 2022.
25. Mghdesyan, Arshaluis (September 26, 2022). "Armenians Decry CSTO Inaction". Institute for War and Peace Reporting. from the original on October 12, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
26. Պապիկյան, Աննա (October 11, 2018). "Նոր կուսակցություն՝ Հայաստանում "եվրոռեմոնտ" անելու համար". ՀՐԱՊԱՐԱԿ.
27. "ՀՀՇ-ն առաջիկայում հանդես է գալու «Եվրոպական Ալյանս» նախաձեռնությամբ".
28. "ԱՄՆ-ին պետք է խնդրել, որ դառնանք ոչ ՆԱՏՕ-ի անդամ դաշնակից․ Վահե Գասպարյան - Հրապարակ".
29. "Հայաստանը պետք է դառնա «ԱՄՆ-ի ոչ ՆԱՏՕ անդամ հիմնական դաշնակից». հայտարարություն | Լրագիր".
30. "A group of Armenian experts presented a document of recommendations to Nancy Pelosi during her visit to Yerevan". September 23, 2022.
31. "«ՀԱՅԱՍՏԱՆԸ ՊԵՏՔ Է ԴԱՌՆԱ ԱՄՆ-Ի ՈՉ ՆԱՏՕ ԱՆԴԱՄ ԳԼԽԱՎՈՐ ԴԱՇՆԱԿԻՑ» ԴԵՍՊԱՆ ՍԵՄ ԲՐԱՈՒՆԲԵՔ". July 7, 2023.
32. "Ambassador Sam Brownback: "Armenia should be designated a major non-NATO ally of the us" |".
33. H.R. 5782 - Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014
34. Ponomarenko, Illia (June 1, 2019). "Ukraine might be designated as major non-NATO US ally". Kyiv Post. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
35. Mackinnon, Amy. "U.S. Commission Urges Biden to Designate Ukraine, Georgia as Major Non-NATO Allies". Foreign Policy. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
36. Toosi, Nahal (May 14, 2015). "U.S. may raise Arab states to 'major' ally status". Politico. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
37. "Text of Strategic Framework Agreement and Security Agreement Between the United States of America and the Republic of Iraq". georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
38. Rajghatta, Chidanand (July 3, 2019). "US Senate okays non-Nato ally status for India". The Times of India. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
39. Iwanek, Krzysztof (August 1, 2019). "No, India Isn't a 'Major Non-NATO Ally' of the United States". The Diplomat. from the original on August 2, 2019.
40. Buchert, Peter. "Finland och Sverige driver närmare Nato – utan att bekräfta slutmålet". www.hbl.fi (in Swedish). Retrieved March 8, 2022.
41. Molik, Przemysław (March 8, 2022). Adamczyk, Grzegorz (ed.). "Finland and Sweden seek US defense guarantees in 'Northern Fortress' alliance to deter Russian ambitions in the Nordic region". Remix News. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
42. Karvala, Kreeta; Nurmi, Lauri (March 5, 2022). "IL:n tiedot: Suomi ja Ruotsi hakevat yhdessä Major non-NATO ally -statuksen kaltaista yhteistyötä Yhdysvaltain kanssa". www.iltalehti.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved March 5, 2022.
43. Gijs, Camille (May 18, 2022). "Sweden, Finland submit applications to join NATO". POLITICO. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
44. "Finland and Sweden officially apply to join NATO despite Russia's warnings". CBS News. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
45. "Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA)". globalsecurity.org. September 15, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
46. Wilner, Michael (December 4, 2014). "Congress enshrines Israel in a new class of ally". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
47. Stoil, Rebecca Shimoni (December 4, 2014). "US Congress passes Israel strategic partnership bill". The Times of Israel. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
48. Chaudhury, Dipanjan Roy. "US recognizes India as 'major defense partner' - The Economic Times". The Economic Times. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
49. "U.S.A. Grants India Non-NATO Ally Status". IAS gateway. July 3, 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
50. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/09/11/joint-leaders-statement-elevating-united-states-vietnam-relations-to-a-comprehensive-strategic-partnership/
51. "Major Non-NATO Ally Status". US State Department. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
52. "Code of Federal Regulations - Title 22 - Foreign Relations - § 120.23 Organizations and Arrangements". Code of Federal Regulations. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
53. "22 USC 2321k: Designation of major non-NATO allies". United States Government Publishing Office. Retrieved February 4, 2017.
54. "What's New". The World Factbook. Retrieved October 21, 2021. The US Government designates 16 countries as Major Non-NATO Allies (MNNA) with which it has strategic working relationships in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation. The countries are: Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, and Tunisia. While MNNA status provides military and economic privileges, it does not entail any security commitments. Information on MNNA status has been added to the "Military – note" for each of these countries.
55. Stearns, Scott (July 7, 2012). "Afghanistan Designated Major US Ally During Clinton Visit to Kabul". Voanews.com. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
56. "Overview of U.S. Policy Toward South America and the President's Upcoming Trip to the Region". Retrieved May 20, 2016.
57. "Memorandum on Designation of Bahrain as a Major Non-NATO Ally". The American Presidency Project. March 14, 2002. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
58. "Bush 'upgrades' Philippines". CNN. May 20, 2003. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
59. Despeignes, Peronet (October 20, 2003). "U.S. wants APEC agenda to include security issues". USA Today. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
60. "US tightens military relationship with Kuwait". Associated Press. January 15, 2004. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved July 7, 2012.(subscription required)
61. "US rewards Morocco for terror aid". BBC News. June 4, 2004. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
62. UNITED STATES DESIGNATES PAKISTAN AS MAJOR NON-NATO ALLY OF AMERICA IN SOUTH ASIA South Asia Analysis Group April 24, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
63. "Designation of Tunisia as a Major Non-NATO Ally". US Department of State. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
64. "Memorandum on the Designation of the Federative Republic of Brazil as a Major Non-NATO Ally". whitehouse.gov. July 31, 2019 – via National Archives.
65. "Message to the Congress on Designating Brazil as a Major Non-NATO Ally". whitehouse.gov. May 8, 2019 – via National Archives.
66. Todd, Lopez. "'Major Non-NATO Ally' Designation Will Enhance U.S., Qatar Relationship". US Department of Defense. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
67. "Biden designates Qatar, Colombia as 'major non-NATO allies' of US". Biden designates Qatar, Colombia as 'major non-NATO allies' of US. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
68. "Joe Biden designa a Colombia como aliado principal extra-Otán". El Tiempo (in Spanish). March 10, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
69. "Hillary Clinton says Afghanistan 'major non-Nato ally'". BBC News. July 7, 2012. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
70. . August 25, 2012. Archived from the original on August 25, 2012.
71. Oshin, Olafimihan (July 7, 2022). "Biden to rescind Afghanistan's designation as major non-NATO ally". The Hill. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
72. "Letter to the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate providing notice of the President's intent to rescind the designation of Afghanistan as a Major Non-NATO Ally". White House. BRIEFING ROOM. July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 6, 2022.