UK envoy lauds NATO importance to Australia, Pacific

The UK's top diplomat in Australia says the prime minister's attendance at a NATO summit is important to strengthen security partnerships across the globe.

High Commissioner Vicki Treadell says the invitation to Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan shows security across continents is intertwined as Russia's invasion of Ukraine threatens the global order. 

"The invitations go out because we all have a shared interest. What happens in the Euro-Atlantic has an implication for what happens in the Indo-Pacific and vice versa," she told AAP. 

"Narrow regional meetings are stronger and better when you have partners from other parts of the world come so that we genuinely take a global perspective and (identify) where the opportunities to work together are."

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has not publicly confirmed travel plans for the July summit, but he attended last year's meet in Madrid. 

Ms Treadell said Britain's increased engagement with the Pacific, including through an unprecedented tour from the foreign secretary this week, would help empower local voices as the region becomes more contested.  

"We are concerned about the systemic competition. But the way we approach it is to give people choice and to show that there is a choice to promote what I would call universal values," she said. 

The high commissioner said the convening of small island developing states at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow and a specific Indigenous forum helped promote regional perspectives. 

The same credence will also be given to Pacific nations when they gather in England for the King's coronation next month through a forum hosted by the UK foreign secretary. 

Mr Albanese, Governor-General David Hurley and other senior figures will attend the coronation. 

"One of the offers that Britain genuinely brings into this region is our global convening power," Ms Treadell said. 

But she maintained Britain would not come over the top of Pacific nations to impose democratic values.

It would instead facilitate regional meetings and targeted assistance, such as climate financing, in order to promote stability and self-reliance.

"If we look at history, telling people not to do things usually doesn't succeed," the high commissioner said.

"Upholding the rule of law is an important agenda. So in cases where that appears to be undermined ... we looked at Pacific leadership to provide the advocacy," she said, referring to the use of local judicial processes to legitimise Samoa's election. 

"Democracy was served, so we look at other Pacific leaders to lead by example."