NATO Summit 2021 – Countries Agreed to Step Up Defense

What is the News?

The NATO Summit was held recently in Brussels. During the summit, countries agreed to step up their collective defence against threats from all directions.

Key Outcomes of NATO Summit

NATO summit concluded on the following points:-

• It will respond to Russia’s increasing nuclear arsenal.
• Further, It called on Iran to stop all ballistic missile activities.
• All members will strengthen their collective defense against all threats from all directions.
• It asked Russia to drop the designation of “unfriendly countries” for US and and the Czech Republic.

About NATO:

• North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO) also called North Atlantic Alliance is an intergovernmental military alliance.
• Formed in: NATO was formed in 1949 with the signing of the Washington Treaty.
• Members: It consists of 30 countries from North America and Europe.
  • The most recent member state is North Macedonia, included in NATO in 2020.
• Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium.

Mandate of NATO: NATO’s purpose is to guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means:

• Political – NATO promotes democratic values and enables members to consult and cooperate on defense and security-related issues.
• Military- NATO is committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes. However, if diplomatic efforts fail, it has the military power to undertake crisis-management operations.
  • These operations are carried out under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty. Article 5 states that if one member of the alliance is attacked in Europe or North America, it is to be considered an attack on all members.
  • So far, Article 5 has been invoked once – in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States in 2001.

NATO membership:

• NATO membership is open to any other European state which can follow the principles of this Treaty and contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area.
• It also has what it calls the Membership Action Plan(MAP). It helps the aspiring members in preparation for membership and meet key requirements by providing practical advice and targeted assistance.
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina are currently participating in this plan.

Source: Indian Express