NATO stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. It is a political and military alliance that was founded in 1949 and it aims to guarantee the freedom and security of its members.
The Signing of the Washington Treaty
On 4th April 1949 the following countries, the founding members, signed the North Atlantic Treaty a.k.a. the Washington Treaty:
- Belgium
- Canada
- Denmark
- France
- Iceland
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- The Netherlands
- Norway
- Portugal
- United Kingdom
- The United States of America.
NATO members
There are currently 32 members. The infographic below shows the current members and the year they joined.
Sweden Joins NATO
The latest member, Sweden, abandoned 200 years of non-alignment and joined NATO on 7th March 2024. It followed its neighbour Finland, which joined in 2023.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said: “This is a historic day. Sweden will now take its rightful place at NATO’s table, with an equal say in shaping NATO policies and decisions. After over 200 years of non-alignment Sweden now enjoys the protection granted under Article 5, the ultimate guarantee of Allies’ freedom and security. Sweden brings with it capable armed forces and a first-class defence industry. Sweden’s accession makes NATO stronger, Sweden safer and the whole Alliance more secure. Today’s accession demonstrates that NATO’s door remains open and that every nation has the right to choose its own path.” Source: Sweden Officially Joins NATO, NATO
Ceremony to Mark Sweden’s Accession to NATO
On 11th March, 2024 the ceremony to mark Sweden’s accession to NATO took place in Brussels.
The Swedish flag was raised at NATO headquarters and across the alliance for the first time.
On this day NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said: “For the first time, 32 flags fly together. They represent 32 nations working for a common purpose, to protect 1 billion people, prevent war and preserve peace.”
And “As we raise the Swedish flag, we stand together in unity and solidarity, committed to protect and defend each other, all for one and one for all“. Source: Ceremony to mark Sweden’s accession to NATO, NATO News.
Ulf Kristersson, the Swedish Prime Minister said “The Russian brutal fullscale invasion against Ukraine united Sweden behind the conclusion that a fully-fledged NATO membership is the only reasonable choice. As a strong democracy, Sweden will stand up for the values in the Washington treaty, freedom, democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law, values that bind us together. Sweden joins NATO because we believe in the importance of collective defense but we also join NATO to be a security provider from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea.” Source: Ceremony to mark Sweden’s accession to NATO, NATO News
At the ceremony, both NATO Secretarty General Jens Stoltenberg and Ulf Kristersson, the Swedish Prime Minister both reiterated how Sweden was already meeting the guideline for spending 2% of its GDP on its defence.
Aspirational NATO members
Three partner countries have declared that they aspire to join NATO:
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Georgia
- Ukraine
Perhaps the 32 members will move to 35 in the near future?
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