In Depth
See Also

NATO

Aznar also proposed a strategic co-operation with India India

India , officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia [i]. ... 

 and Colombia Colombia

The Republic of Colombia , is the northwesternmost country of South America [i]. ... 

.

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Timeline

1951   NATO accepts Greece Greece

Greece Greece lies at the juncture of Europe [i], Asia [i], and Africa [i]. ... 

 and Turkey Turkey

Turkey, officially the Republic of Turkey, is a Eurasia [i]n country that stretches across the Anatolia [i] ... 

 as members

1954   West Germany joins NATO

1955   West Germany joins NATO.

1960   December 16 — U.S. United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

 Secretary of State Christian Herter Christian Herter

Christian Archibald Herter was an American [i] politician and statesman; Governor of Massachusetts [i] ... 

 announces that the United States will commit 5 atomic submarines and 80 Polaris missiles UGM-27 Polaris

The Polaris missile was a submarine-launched, two-stage solid-fuel nuclear-armed ballistic missile buil... 

 to NATO by the end of 1963.

1961   Following a four-day conference in Casablanca Casablanca

Casablanca is a city [i] in western Morocco [i], located on the Atlantic Ocean [i]. ... 

, five African chiefs of state announce plans for a NATO-type African organization to ensure common defense. The Charter of Casablanca involves Morocco Morocco

The Kingdom of Morocco is a country in North Africa [i]. ... 

, the United Arab Republic United Arab Republic

The United Arab Republic was the state formed by the union between the republics of Egypt [i] and Syria [i] ... 

, Ghana Ghana

Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa [i]. ... 

, Guinea Guinea

Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea , is a nation in West Africa [i], formerly known as French Guinea [i] ... 

, and Mali Mali

Mali, officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked [i] nation in Western Africa [i] ... 

.

1962   ''Der Spiegel Der Spiegel

Der Spiegel is Europe [i]'s biggest and Germany [i]'s most influential weekly magazine [i], publishe ... 

'' publishes an article on a NATO exercise criticizing the weakness of the West German Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country [i] in central Europe [i]. ... 

 army (the offices of the paper are occupied by the police on the 16th).

1966   Charles De Gaulle Charles de Gaulle

Charles Andr Joseph Marie de Gaulle , in France [i] commonly referred to as Gnral de Gaulle, ... 

 asks U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States [i] ... 

 for negotiations about the state of NATO equipment in France France

France, officially the French Republic, is a country [i] whose metropolitan territory [i] ... 

.

1966   French President Charles De Gaulle Charles de Gaulle

Charles Andr Joseph Marie de Gaulle , in France [i] commonly referred to as Gnral de Gaulle, ... 

 states that French troops will be taken out of NATO and that all French NATO bases and HQ's must be closed within a year.

1966   France France

France, officially the French Republic, is a country [i] whose metropolitan territory [i] ... 

 formally leaves NATO.

1966   NATO decides to move SHAPE Shape

In geometry [i], two sets have the same shape if one can be transformed to another by a combination of translations [i] ... 

 headquarters to Belgium Belgium

The Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe [i] bordered by the Netherlands [i] ... 

.

   More Events >>



Encyclopedia



The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation , also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation International organization

An international organization, or more formally intergovernmental organization , is an organization [i] ... 

 for collective security established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. is the capital [i] city [i] of the United States of America [i]. ... 

, on 4 April 1949. Its headquarters are located in Brussels Brussels

Brussels is the capital [i] of Belgium [i], the French Community of Belgium [i], the Flemish Community [i]... 

, Belgium Belgium

The Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe [i] bordered by the Netherlands [i] ... 

. Its other official name is the French French language

French is the third-largest of the Romance languages [i] in terms of number of native speakers, after Spanish [i] ... 

 equivalent, l'Organisation du Traité de l'Atlantique Nord .

The 2006 NATO Summit will take place in Latvia Latvia

Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in Eastern Europe [i]. ... 

.

Purpose

The core of NATO is Article V of the North Atlantic Treaty, which states

The Treaty cautiously avoids reference both to the identification of an enemy and to any concrete measures of common defence. Nevertheless, it was intended so that if the USSR Soviet Union

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , more commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a Communist state [i] ... 

 and its allies launched an attack against any of the NATO members, it would be treated as if it was an attack on all member states. This marked a significant change for the United States, which traditionally harboured strong isolationist groups across parties in Congress. However, the feared invasion of Western Europe never came. Instead, the provision was invoked for the first time in the treaty's history on 12 September 2001, in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States the day before.

NATO was founded early in the Cold War with the express aim of defending western Europe against a military invasion by the Soviet Union Soviet Union

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , more commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a Communist state [i] ... 

. In 1990 it was discovered that the NATO treaty also included secret provisions requiring member states to set up and organise clandestine paramilitary militia Militia

A militia is a group of citizen [i]s organized to provide paramilitary [i] service. ... 

s, known as "stay-behind armies", who would use guerrilla tactics behind enemy lines following a successful invasion. However, when the invasion never came, attention was turned to domestic communist and socialist groups. These paramilitary groups, also known as Gladio Operation Gladio

Operation Gladio was a clandestine "stay-behind [i]" operation sponsored by the CIA [i] and NATO [i] to ... 

, are accused of having carried out dozens of terrorist bombings, notably in Italy during the strategy of tension years, which were officially blamed on communist forces.

History


Beginnings


The Treaty of Brussels, signed on 17 March 1948 by Belgium Belgium

The Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe [i] bordered by the Netherlands [i] ... 

, the Netherlands Netherlands

The Netherlands is the Europe [i]an part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands [i] , which is formed ... 

, Luxembourg Luxembourg

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a small landlocked [i] country in western Europe [i], bordered by Belgium [i] ... 

, France France

France, officially the French Republic, is a country [i] whose metropolitan territory [i] ... 

, and the United Kingdom United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state [i] tha ... 

, is considered the precursor to the NATO agreement. This treaty established a military alliance, later to become the Western European Union Western European Union

The Western European Union is a partially dormant European defence and security organization, establish... 

. However, American participation was thought necessary in order to counter the military power of the Soviet Union, and therefore talks for a new military alliance began almost immediately.

These talks resulted in the North Atlantic Treaty, which was signed in Washington, DC Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. is the capital [i] city [i] of the United States of America [i]. ... 

 on 4 April 1949. It included the five Treaty of Brussels states, United States United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

, Canada Canada

Canada is the world's second-largest [i] country by total area, occupying most ... 

, Portugal Portugal

Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic is located in southwestern Europe [i] on the Iberian Peninsula [i] ... 

, Italy Italy

Italy, officially the Italian Republic , is a Southern European [i] country. ... 

, Norway Norway

Insert non-formatted text here
... 

, Denmark Denmark

The Kingdom of Denmark is the smallest and southernmost of the Nordic countries [i].... 

 and Iceland Iceland

Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland is a volcanic island nation [i] in the northern Atlantic Ocean [i]... 

. Three years later, on 18 February 1952, Greece Greece

Greece
Greece lies at the juncture of Europe [i], Asia [i], and Africa [i]. ... 

 and Turkey Turkey

Turkey, officially the Republic of Turkey, is a Eurasia [i]n country that stretches across the Anatolia [i] ... 

 also joined. Because of geography, Australia Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere [i] c ... 

 and New Zealand New Zealand

New Zealand is a country in the south-western Pacific Ocean [i] consisting of two large islands and many ... 

 missed out on membership. In place of this, the ANZUS agreement was made by the United States United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

 with these nations.

In 1954 the Soviet Union suggested that it should join NATO to preserve peace in Europe. U.S. and U.K. rejected this, seeing it as an attempt to curtail the buildup of NATO forces in Europe.

The incorporation of West Germany into the organisation on 9 May 1955 was described as "a decisive turning point in the history of our continent" by Halvard Lange, Foreign Minister of Norway at the time. Indeed, one of its immediate results was the creation of the Warsaw Pact Warsaw Pact

he Warsaw Pact or Warsaw Treaty, officially named the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mu... 

, signed on 14 May 1955 by the Soviet Union Soviet Union

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , more commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a Communist state [i] ... 

 and its satellite states as a formal response to this event, firmly establishing the two opposing sides of the Cold War Cold War

The Cold War was the protracted geopolitical [i], ideological [i], and economic [i]... 

.

Early Cold War - Crisis with France

The unity of NATO was breached early on in its history, with a crisis occurring during Charles de Gaulle Charles de Gaulle

Charles Andr Joseph Marie de Gaulle , in France [i] commonly referred to as Gnral de Gaulle, ... 

's presidency of France from 1958 onwards. De Gaulle protested the United States' hegemonical role in the organisation and protested what he perceived as a special relationship Special relationship

The special relationship is the phrase used to characterize what advocates view as the warm politica... 

 between the United States and the United Kingdom. In a memorandum he sent on 17 September 1958 to President Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was an American [i] soldier and politician.... 

 and Prime Minister Harold Macmillan Harold Macmillan

Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM [i], PC [i] ... 

, he argued for the creation of a tripartite Directorate that would put France on an equal footing with the United States and the United Kingdom, and also for the expansion of NATO's coverage to include geographical areas of interest to France.

Considering the response he was given unsatisfactory, de Gaulle started pursuing an independent defence for his country. France's Mediterranean fleet was withdrawn from NATO command in 11 March 1959. An independent nuclear programme was also pursued: In June 1959, de Gaulle banned the stationing of foreign nuclear weapons on French soil, which caused United States to transfer 200 military aeroplanes out of France; on 13 February 1960 France tested its first nuclear bomb -- a move much criticised among its NATO allies.

Though France showed solidarity with the rest of NATO during the Cuban missile crisis Cuban Missile Crisis

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation during the Cold War [i] between the Soviet Union [i] and th ... 

 in 1962, de Gaulle continued his pursuit of an independent defence by also removing the Atlantic and Channel fleets of France from NATO command. Finally in 1966 all French armed forces were removed from NATO’s integrated military command and all non-French NATO troops were asked to leave France. This precipitated the relocation of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe

Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is the central command of NATO [i] military [i] forces. ... 

  from Paris Paris

native_name = Ville de Paris
|common_name = Paris
... 

 to Brussels Brussels

Brussels is the capital [i] of Belgium [i], the French Community of Belgium [i], the Flemish Community [i]... 

 in Belgium by 16 October 1967. In Belgium, NATO is also based in Casteau in South of Brussels. France rejoined NATO's military command in 1993.

Détente


During most of the duration of the Cold War Cold War

The Cold War was the protracted geopolitical [i], ideological [i], and economic [i]... 

, NATO maintained a holding pattern with no actual military engagement as an organisation. On 1 July 1968, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, also Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is ... 

 opened for signature: NATO argued that its nuclear weapons sharing arrangements did not breach the treaty as US forces controlled the weapons until a decision was made to go to war, at which point the treaty would no longer be controlling. Few states knew of the NATO nuclear sharing arrangements at that time, and they were not challenged.

On 30 May 1978, NATO countries officially defined two complementary aims of the Alliance, to maintain security and pursue détente Détente

Dtente is a French [i] term, meaning a relaxing or easing; the term has been ... 

. This was supposed to mean matching defences at the level rendered necessary by the Warsaw Pact Warsaw Pact

he Warsaw Pact or Warsaw Treaty, officially named the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mu... 

's offensive capabilities without spurring a further arms race.

However, on 12 December 1979, in light of a build-up of Warsaw Pact Warsaw Pact

he Warsaw Pact or Warsaw Treaty, officially named the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mu... 

 nuclear capabilities in Europe, ministers approved the deployment of US Cruise Cruise missile

A cruise missile is a guided [i] missile [i] which uses a lifting wing and most often a jet [i] ... 

 and Pershing II Pershing missile

Pershing was a family of solid-fueled two-stage medium-range ballistic missile [i]s designed and built b ... 

 theatre nuclear weapons in Europe. The new warheads were also meant to strengthen the western negotiating position in regard to nuclear disarmament. This policy was called the Dual Track policy. Similarly, in 1983–84 1984

1984 was a leap year starting on Sunday [i] of the Gregorian calendar [i]. ... 

, responding to the stationing of Warsaw Pact SS-20 RT-21M Pioneer

[i] with a [[nuclear weapon|nuclear warhead]... 

 medium-range missiles in Europe, NATO deployed modern Pershing II missiles able to reach Moscow within minutes. This action led to peace movement protests throughout Western Europe.

The membership of the organisation in this time period likewise remained largely static, with NATO only gaining one new member in 30 May 1982, when newly democratic Spain joined the alliance, following a referendum. Greece also in 1974 withdrew its forces from NATO’s military command structure, as a result of Greco-Turkish tensions following the 1974 Cyprus dispute; Greek forces were however readmitted in 1980.

In November 1983, a NATO manoeuvre code-named Able Archer 83 Able Archer 83

Able Archer 83 was a ten-day NATO [i] exercise [i] starting on November 2, 1983 that s ... 

, which simulated a NATO nuclear release, caused panic in the Kremlin. Soviet leadership, led by ailing General Secretary Yuri Andropov Yuri Andropov

Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov was a Soviet [i] politician and General Secretary [i]... 

 became concerned that US President Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan

Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President [i] of the United States [i] ... 

 may have been intending to launch a genuine first strike. In response, Soviet nuclear forces were readied and air units in Eastern Germany and Poland were placed on alert. Though at the time written off by US intelligence as a propaganda effort, many historians now believe Soviet fear of a NATO first strike was genuine.

The Stay-behinds and Operation Gladio Operation Gladio

Operation Gladio was a clandestine "stay-behind [i]" operation sponsored by the CIA [i] and NATO [i] to ... 


On October 24, 1990 it was acknowledged by Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti to the Italian Parliament Parliament of Italy

The Parliament of Italy is the national parliament of Italy.... 

 that NATO had long held a secret policy of support and training for right wing terrorist organisations in member states. The policy, which is codenamed Operation Gladio Operation Gladio

Operation Gladio was a clandestine "stay-behind [i]" operation sponsored by the CIA [i] and NATO [i] to ... 

, and related terrorist groups are thought to have carried out the Bologna massacre Bologna massacre

The Bologna massacre, also known in Italy [i] as the Strage di Bologna, was a terrorist [i] ... 

, the Paris massacre , political assassinations in Belgium, military coups in Greece Greek military junta of 1967-1974

The Greek military junta of 1967-1974 or alternatively called "The Regime of the Colonels" or in G... 

 and Turkey  and an attempted coup in France . The official aim was to prevent Communist Communism

Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a future classless [i], stateless [i] ... 

 movements in Western Europe gaining power. However, many researchers have commented that the true aim was often to increase the power and control of the United States over Europe.

Post-Cold War


The end of the Cold War Cold War

The Cold War was the protracted geopolitical [i], ideological [i], and economic [i]... 

, the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact Warsaw Pact

he Warsaw Pact or Warsaw Treaty, officially named the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mu... 

 in 1991, removed the de facto main adversary of NATO. This caused a strategic reevalution of NATO's purpose, nature and tasks. In practice this ended up entailing a gradual expansion of NATO to Eastern Europe, as well as the extension of its activities to areas not formerly concerning it.

The first post-Cold War expansion of NATO came with the reunification of Germany German reunification

German reunification took place on October 3 [i], 1990 [i], when the areas of the former German Democratic Republic [i] ... 

 on 3 October 1990, when the former East Germany German Democratic Republic

The German Democratic Republic was a Socialist state [i], which existed from 1949 to 1990 in the Soviet ... 

 became part of the Federal Republic of Germany Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country [i] in central Europe [i]. ... 

 and the alliance. This had been agreed in the Two Plus Four Treaty earlier in the year. To secure Soviet approval of a united Germany remaining in NATO, it was agreed that foreign troops and nuclear weapons would not be stationed in the east, and also that NATO would never expand further east.

On 28 February 1994, NATO also took its first military action, shooting down four Bosnian Serb aircraft violating a UN no-fly zone over central Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country on the Balkan [i] peninsula of southern Europe [i] with an a ... 

. NATO air strikes the following year helped bring the war in Bosnia Yugoslav wars

The Yugoslav wars were a series of violent conflicts in the territory of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia [i] ... 

 to an end, resulting in the Dayton Agreement Dayton Agreement

General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, i.e.... 

.

Between 1994 and 1997, wider forums for regional cooperation between NATO and its neighbours were set up, like the Partnership for Peace Partnership for Peace

Partnership for Peace is a NATO [i] project aimed at creating trust between NATO and other states in Europe [i] ... 

, the Mediterranean Dialogue Mediterranean Dialogue

The Mediterranean Dialogue, first launched in 1994 is a forum of cooperation between NATO [i] and seven countr... 

 initiative and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council

The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council , a NATO [i] organization, is a multilateral forum created to impr ... 

. On 8 July 1997, three former communist countries, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Poland, were invited to join NATO, which finally happened in 1999.

On 24 March 1999, NATO saw its first broad-scale military engagement in the Kosovo War Kosovo War

The term Kosovo War or Kosovo Conflict is often used to describe two sequential and at times paral... 

, where it waged an 11-week bombing campaign Operation Allied Force

Operation Allied Force aka Kosovo-NATO War was NATO [i]'s military operation against Federal Republic of Yugoslavia [i] ... 

 against what was then the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia or FRY was a federal state consisting of the republics of Serbia [i] ... 

. A formal declaration of war never took place. Yugoslavia referred to the Kosovo War as military aggression, as being undeclared and contravening the UN Charter..The conflict ended on 11 June 1999, when Yugoslavian leader Slobodan Miloševic Slobodan Miloševic

Slobodan Miloevic listen was President of Serbia [i] and of Yugoslavia [i].
... 

 agreed to NATO’s demands by accepting UN resolution 1244. NATO then helped establish the KFOR KFOR

The Kosovo Force is a NATO [i]-led international force responsible for establishing a safe and secure en ... 

, a NATO-led force under a United Nations United Nations

name = United Nations
Nations Unies
... 

 mandate that operates the military mission in Kosovo.

Debate concerning NATO's role and the concerns of the wider international community continued throughout its expanded military activities: The United States opposed efforts to require the UN Security Council to approve NATO military strikes, such as the ongoing action against Yugoslavia, while France and other NATO countries claimed the alliance needed UN approval. American officials said that this would undermine the authority of the alliance, and they noted that Russia Russia

Russia , also the Russian Federation , is a country [i] that stretches over a vast expanse of Eurasia [i] ... 

 and China China

China is a cultural region [i] and ancient civilization [i] in East Asia [i]. ... 

 would have exercised their Security Council vetoes to block the strike on Yugoslavia Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia is a term used for the three separate political entities that existed during most of the 20th century [i] ... 

. In April 1999, at the Washington Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. is the capital [i] city [i] of the United States of America [i]. ... 

 summit, a German proposal that NATO adopt a no-first-use nuclear strategy was rejected.

After the September 11 attacks


The expansion of the activities and geographical reach of NATO grew even further as an outcome of the September 11th attacks. These caused as a response the provisional invocation of the collective security of NATO's charter — Article 5 which states that any attack on a member state will be considered an attack against the entire group of members. The invocation was confirmed on 4 October 2001 when NATO determined that the attacks were indeed eligible under the terms of the North Atlantic Treaty. The eight official actions taken by NATO in response to the attacks included the first two examples of military action taken in response to an invocation of Article 5: Operation Eagle Assist Operation Eagle Assist

Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, Operation Eagle Assist began on October 9, 2001 after the ... 

 and Operation Active Endeavour Operation Active Endeavour

Operation Active Endeavour is a naval operation [i] of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation [i]. ... 

.

Despite this early show of solidarity, NATO faced a crisis little more than a year later, when on 10 February 2003, France France

France, officially the French Republic, is a country [i] whose metropolitan territory [i] ... 

 and Belgium Belgium

The Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe [i] bordered by the Netherlands [i] ... 

 vetoed the procedure of silent approval concerning the timing of protective measures for Turkey Turkey

Turkey, officially the Republic of Turkey, is a Eurasia [i]n country that stretches across the Anatolia [i] ... 

 in case of a possible war with Iraq Iraq

The Republic of Iraq, is a Middle East [i]ern country [i] in southwestern Asia [i] encomp ... 

. Germany Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country [i] in central Europe [i]. ... 

 did not use its right to break the procedure but said it supported the veto.

On the issue of Afghanistan Afghanistan

Afghanistan ; Persian [i]: ?????? ?????? ?????????, Pashto [i]:' ... 

 on the other hand, the alliance showed greater unity: On 16 April 2003 NATO agreed to take command of the International Security Assistance Force International Security Assistance Force

The International Security Assistance Force is an international stabilization force in Kabul [i], Afghanistan [i]... 

  in Afghanistan Afghanistan

Afghanistan ; Persian [i]: ?????? ?????? ?????????, Pashto [i]:' ... 

. The decision came at the request of Germany Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country [i] in central Europe [i]. ... 

 and the Netherlands Netherlands

The Netherlands is the Europe [i]an part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands [i] , which is formed ... 

, the two nations leading ISAF at the time of the agreement, and all 19 NATO ambassadors approved it unanimously. The handover of control to NATO took place on 11 August, and marked the first time in NATO’s history that it took charge of a mission outside the north Atlantic area. Canada Canada

Canada is the world's second-largest [i] country by total area, occupying most ... 

 had originally been slated to take over ISAF by itself on that date.

On July 31 2006, a NATO-led force, made up mostly of troops from Great Britain United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state [i] tha ... 

, Canada Canada

Canada is the world's second-largest [i] country by total area, occupying most ... 

, Turkey Turkey

Turkey, officially the Republic of Turkey, is a Eurasia [i]n country that stretches across the Anatolia [i] ... 

 and the Netherlands Netherlands

The Netherlands is the Europe [i]an part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands [i] , which is formed ... 

, took over military operations in the south of Afghanistan from a U.S.-led anti-terror coalition.

In January 2004, NATO appointed Minister Hikmet Cetin, of Turkey, as the Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan. Minister Cetin is primarily responsible for advancing the political-military aspects of the Alliance in Afghanistan.

Expansion and restructuring


New NATO structures were also formed while old ones were abolished: The NATO Response Force  was launched at the 2002 Prague Summit on 21 November. On 19 June 2003, a major restructuring of the NATO military commands began as the Headquarters of the Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic were abolished and a new command, Allied Command Transformation , was established in Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk is an independent city [i] in the Commonwealth of Virginia [i] in the United States of America [i]... 

, USA United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

, and the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe became the Headquarters of Allied Command Operations Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe

Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is the central command of NATO [i] military [i] forces. ... 

 . ACT is responsible for driving transformation in NATO, whilst ACO is responsible for current operations.

Membership went on expanding with the accession of seven more Eastern European countries to NATO: Estonia Estonia

Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia , is a country in Northern Europe [i]. ... 

, Latvia Latvia

Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in Eastern Europe [i]. ... 

 and Lithuania Lithuania

Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania , is a country in northern Europe.... 

  and also Slovenia Slovenia

Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a coastal Alpine country [i] i ... 

, Slovakia Slovakia

Slovakia is a landlocked [i] republic [i] in Central Europe [i] with population of more than five milli... 

, Bulgaria Bulgaria

Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a country in Southeastern Europe [i].... 

, and Romania Romania

Romania: is a country in Southeastern Europe [i]. ... 

. They were first invited to start talks of membership during the 2002 Prague Summit, and joined NATO on 29 March 2004.

A number of other countries have also expressed a wish to join the alliance, including Albania Albania

The Republic of Albania is a Balkan [i] country in Southeastern Europe [i]. ... 

, the Republic of Macedonia Republic of Macedonia

The Republic of Macedonia , often referred to as Macedonia, is a landlocked [i] country on the Balkan peninsula [i] ... 

, Georgia Georgia

Georgia may mean:
  • Georgia [i], a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia: **Formerly ... 

     and Croatia Croatia

    Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a country in Europe [i], at the crossroads of th ... 

    .


From the Russian point of view, NATO's eastward expansion since the end of the cold war has been in clear breach of an agreement between Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Gorbachev

Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachyov was leader of the Soviet Union [i] from 1985 until 1991. ... 

 and US President George H.W. Bush George H. W. Bush

George Herbert Walker Bush was the 41st President of the United States of America [i] .
... 

 which allowed for a peaceful unification of Germany German reunification

German reunification took place on October 3 [i], 1990 [i], when the areas of the former German Democratic Republic [i] ... 

. NATO's expansion policy is seen as a continuation of a cold war attempt to surround and isolate Russia.

ISAF

Main article: ISAF International Security Assistance Force

The International Security Assistance Force is an international stabilization force in Kabul [i], Afghanistan [i]... 



In August 2003, NATO had its first mission ever outside Europe when it assumed control over International Security Assistance Force International Security Assistance Force

The International Security Assistance Force is an international stabilization force in Kabul [i], Afghanistan [i]... 

  in Afghanistan Afghanistan

Afghanistan ; Persian [i]: ?????? ?????? ?????????, Pashto [i]:' ... 

.

Membership




Founding members :



Countries that joined after the initial foundation:


;Former Eastern Bloc Eastern bloc

During the Cold War [i], the term Eastern Bloc was used to refer to the Soviet Union [i] and its allies ... 

 states that joined after the Cold War:
March 12 1999:

March 29 2004:

Notes:

France withdrew from the integrated military command in 1966. From then until 1993 it had remained solely a member of NATO's political structure.

Iceland, the sole NATO member that does not have its own military force , joined on the condition that they would not be expected to establish one. It has recently however provided troops, trained in Norway, for NATO peacekeeping.

Greece withdrew its forces from NATO’s military command structure from 1974 to 1980 as a result of Greco-Turkish tensions following the 1974 Cyprus dispute Cyprus dispute

|
|-
|
|}
The Cyprus Dispute is the conflict between Greek Cypriot [i]s and Turkish Cypriots [i] and als ... 

.

Possible NATO expansion


For the further expansion of NATO, a mechanism called MAP or Membership Action Plan was approved in the Washington Summit of 1999. Participation in MAP for a country entails the annual presentation of reports concerning its progress on five different fields:
  1. Political and economic: Countries must demonstrate a willingness to settle international, ethnic or external territorial disputes by peaceful means as well as a commitment to the rule of law and human rights. Democratic control of their armed forces must be established.
  2. Defence and military: This chapter focuses on the ability of the country to contribute to the Alliance's defence and missions.
  3. Resources: This concerns the need for candidate countries to allocate enough resources to their armed forces to be able to meet the commitments of membership.
  4. Security: Concerning the security of sensitive information, and safeguards ensuring it.
  5. Legal issues: Ensuring the compatibility of domestic legislation with NATO cooperation.


NATO provides feedback as well as technical advice to each of the countries and evaluates their progress on an individual basis.

Currently MAPs are in implementation with the following countries:
Croatia Croatia

Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a country in Europe [i], at the crossroads of th ... 


At the Summit in Sofia Sofia


Sofia is the capital [i] and largest city of the Republic of Bulgaria [i], with a population of 1,20 ... 

, on 28 April 2006, it was announced that it is expected to agree on MAPs with the following countries in time for the Riga Summit in November 2006.
. On September 21, 2006, NATO members voted to admit Georgia into the process of "Intensified Dialogue", which is the first step into the membership of NATO.
Ukraine
Defence Minister of Ukraine Ukraine

Ukraine is a country [i] in Eastern Europe [i]. ... 

 Anatoliy Hrytsenko declared that Ukraine would have an Action Plan on NATO membership by the end of March 2006, to begin implementation by September 2006. A final decision concerning Ukraine's membership in NATO is expected to be made in 2008, with full membership possible by 2010.

The idea of Ukrainian membership in NATO has gained support from a number of NATO leaders, including President Traian Basescu Traian Basescu

... 

 of Romania Romania

Romania: is a country in Southeastern Europe [i]. ... 

  and president Ivan Gašparovic of Slovakia. The Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, Alexander Grushko, announced however that NATO membership for Ukraine was not in Russia's best interests and wouldn't help the relations of the two countries.

Currently a majority of Ukrainian citizens oppose NATO membership. Protests have taken place by opposition blocs against the idea, and petitions signed urging the end of relations with NATO. Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov Yuriy Yekhanurov

Yuriy Ivanovych Yekhanurov is a former Prime Minister [i] of Ukraine [i] .... 

 has indicated Ukraine will not enter NATO as long as the public continues opposing the move.
Plans for membership were shelved on September 14, 2006 due to the overwhelming disapproval of NATO membership.
Finland
Finland is participating in nearly all sub-areas of the Partnership for Peace programme, and has provided peacekeeping forces to the Afghanistan and Kosovo missions. The possibility of Finland Finland

The Republic of Finland , is one of the Nordic countries [i]. ... 

's membership in NATO was one of the most major issues debated in relation to the Finnish presidential election of 2006 Finnish presidential election, 2006

The 2006 Finnish Presidential election saw the re-election of Tarja Halonen [i] as President of Finland [i] ... 

.

The main contester of the presidency, Sauli Niinistö Sauli Niinistö

... 

 of the National Coalition Party, supported Finland joining a "more European" NATO. Fellow right-winger Henrik Lax of the Swedish People's Party likewise supported the concept. On the other side, incumbent president Tarja Halonen Tarja Halonen

Tarja Kaarina Halonen is the President of Finland [i]. ... 

 of the Social Democratic Party Social Democratic Party of Finland

The Social Democratic Party of Finland is one of the most influential political parties [i]... 

 opposed changing the status quo, as did most other candidates in the election. Her victory and re-election to the post of president has currently put the issue of a NATO membership for Finland on hold for at least the duration of her term.

Other political figures of Finland who have weighed in with opinions include former President of Finland President of Finland

The President [i] of Finland is the Head of State [i] of Finland [i]. ... 

 Martti Ahtisaari who has argued that Finland should join all the organisations supported by other Western democracies in order "to shrug off once and for all the burden of Finlandisation". Another former president, Mauno Koivisto, opposes the idea, arguing that NATO membership would ruin Finland's relations with Russia.

Polls in Finland indicate that the public is strongly against NATO membership.

Cooperation with non-member states



Euro-Atlantic Partnership


A double framework has been established to help further co-operation between the 26 NATO members and 20 "partner countries".

  • The Partnership for Peace programme was established in 1994 and is based on individual bilateral relations between each partner country and NATO: each country may choose the extent of its participation. The PfP programme is considered the operational wing of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership.
  • The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council on the other hand was first established on 29 May 1997, and is a forum for regular co-ordination, consultation and dialogue between all 46 participants.


The 20 partner countries are the following:


  • Former Soviet republics Post-Soviet states

    The Post-Soviet states, also commonly known as former Soviet republics, are the independent nations [i] ... 

    :



  • Countries that possessed capitalist economies during the Cold War:




  • Nations that possessed socialist economies during the Cold War:




  • Malta Malta

    Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is a small and densely populated island nation [i] consis ... 

     joined PfP in 1994, but its new government withdrew in 1996. Because of this Malta is not participating in ESDP European Security and Defence Policy

    The European Security and Defence Policy or ESDP is a major element of the Common Foreign and Security Policy [i] ... 

     activities that use NATO assets and information.
  • Cyprus Cyprus

    Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasia [i]n island nation [i] in the eastern pa ... 

    's admission to PfP is resisted by Turkey, because of the Northern Cyprus Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

    The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus or Turkish Cypriot State is a de facto [i] break-away [i] ... 

     issue. Because of this Cyprus is not participating in ESDP European Security and Defence Policy

    The European Security and Defence Policy or ESDP is a major element of the Common Foreign and Security Policy [i] ... 

     activities that use NATO assets and information.
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country on the Balkan [i] peninsula of southern Europe [i] with an a ... 

    , Serbia Serbia

    Serbia, officially the Republic of Serbia is a landlocked [i] country in Central [i] ... 

    , and Montenegro Montenegro

    The Republic of Montenegro is a country [i] located in southeastern Europe [i]. ... 

     are aspirants for PfP and EAPC participation . Their inclusion into the programme depends on implementing some reforms and cooperation with the ICTY International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia

    The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of Internation... 

    .

International Partnership Action Plans

Launched at the November 2002 Prague Summit, Individual Partnership Action Plans are open to countries that have the political will and ability to deepen their relationship with NATO.

Currently IPAPs are in implementation with the following countries:
  • Azerbaijan Azerbaijan

    Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan , is a country in the South Caucasus [i]. ... 

  • Armenia Armenia

    Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia, is a landlocked [i] mountainous country in the South ... 



Under development are IPAPs with the following countries:
  • Moldova Moldova

    The Republic of Moldova is a landlocked [i] country in eastern Europe [i], located between Romania [i] ... 

  • Kazakhstan Kazakhstan

    Kazakhstan, also spelled Kazakstan, , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a country th... 



Mediterranean Dialogue


The Mediterranean Dialogue Mediterranean Dialogue

The Mediterranean Dialogue, first launched in 1994 is a forum of cooperation between NATO [i] and seven countr... 

, first launched in 1994 is a forum of cooperation between NATO and seven countries of the Mediterranean:

NATO-Russian Federation Council


NATO and Russian Federation made a reciprocal commitment in 1997 "to work together to build a stable, secure and undivided continent on the basis of partnership and common interest."

In May 2002, this commitment was strengthened with the establishment of the NATO-Russia Council, which brings together the NATO members and Russia. The purpose of this council is to identify and pursue opportunities for joint action with the 27 participants as equal partners.

Other partners

In April 2005, Australia Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere [i] c ... 

 signed a security Security

Security is the condition of being protected against danger or loss [i].... 

 agreement with NATO on enhancing intelligence cooperation in the fight against terrorism. Australia also posted a defence attache to NATO's headquarters. Cooperation with Japan Japan

is an island country [i] in East Asia [i]. ... 

, El Salvador El Salvador

El Salvador is a country in Central America [i] with a population of approximately 6.9 million people. ... 

, South Korea South Korea

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is an East Asia [i]n state [i] on the southern half ... 

 and New Zealand New Zealand

New Zealand is a country in the south-western Pacific Ocean [i] consisting of two large islands and many ... 

 was also announced as priority.
Israel Israel

Israel , officially the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia [i] on the so ... 

 is currently a Mediterranean Dialogue Mediterranean Dialogue

The Mediterranean Dialogue, first launched in 1994 is a forum of cooperation between NATO [i] and seven countr... 

 country and has been recently seeking to expand its relationship with NATO. The first visit by a head of NATO to Israel occurred on 23 February - 24 February 2005 and the first joint Israel-NATO naval exercise occurred on 27 March 2005. . In May of the same year Israel was admitted to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Israeli troops also took part in NATO exercises in June 2005.