NATO and the Republic of Korea sign airworthiness agreement
On Thursday (11 July 2024), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol at NATO’s 75th anniversary Summit in Washington DC. They signed an agreement on mutual recognition for military airworthiness certification which ensures the safety and airworthiness of all air assets used by NATO Allied countries and partners. This marks NATO’s first such deal with an Asian country.
In a joint statement, Mr. Stoltenberg welcomed the signing of the airworthiness certificate and emphasized that the agreement will “deepen our cooperation and interoperability between NATO and the Republic of Korea,” he said.
Under the agreement, NATO will recognize the Republic of Korea’s airworthiness certification process for domestically manufactured aircraft. While the Republic of Korea has previously signed similar agreements with the United States, Spain, France, and Poland, this new deal with NATO is expected to streamline mutual recognition procedures between the Republic of Korea and NATO Allies.