New Delhi, July 2 -- The upcoming NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on 7-8 July does matter for South Asia and although NATO is not directly active there, it does shape the wider strategic environment around India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the China-India rivalry.

NATO itself does not have a formal South Asia strategy, but recent discussions increasingly frame India as a balancing power against China in the Indo-Pacific and hence favours closer engagement with India.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sees the Ankara summit as a chance to boost Turkey's role as a regional power and as a link between the United States and Europe, as geopolitical rivalries and tensions mount.

NATO unity has been tested in recent months, particularly ...