regional alliances
Neighboring countries cooperating
Regional alliances are agreements between neighboring countries or states to cooperate on matters of mutual interest—typically defense, trade, or political coordination.
NATO and ASEAN are examples at different scales.
The term often implies strategic partnerships formed to counter external threats or increase collective bargaining power: Regional alliances have reshaped the balance of power in Southeast Asia.
- monetary unionShared currency arrangement
- customs unionTariff-aligned trading partnership
- common marketIntegrated trading zone
- free tradeUnrestricted international exchange
- economic integrationMerging separate national markets
single market · sovereignty · treaty negotiations · collective security · diplomatic summits · diplomacy · peacekeeping forces · entente · peace treaties · trade bloc · non-aggression pacts · trade agreements · buffer zone · neighbors · spheres of influence · iron curtain · tariff reduction · trade wars
regional alliancesglobal organizations
Bodies with worldwide membership
international organizations · global institutions · global partnerships · United Nations · World Trade Organization
regional alliancesunilateralism
Acting without international cooperation
isolationism · national sovereignty · going it alone · state sovereignty · non-alignment