About NATO

• Formed in 1949 with the signing of the Washington Treaty, NATO is a security alliance of 30 countries from North America and Europe. 
• Established in the Cold War as a bulwark against Soviet aggression, NATO’s fundamental goal is to safeguard the Allies’ freedom and security by political and military means. 
• Article 5 of the Washington Treaty states that an attack against one Ally is an attack against all — is at the core of the Alliance, a promise of collective defence. 
• Article 4 of the treaty ensures consultations among Allies on security matters of common interest, which have expanded from a narrowly defined Soviet threat to the critical mission in Afghanistan, as well as new threats to security such as cyber attacks, and global threats such as terrorism and piracy that affect the Alliance and its global network of partners.
• A “NATO decision” is the expression of the collective will of all 30 member countries since all decisions are taken by consensus.
• At present, NATO has 30 members. In 1949, there were 12 founding members of the Alliance: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States. The other member countries are: Greece and Turkey (1952), Germany (1955), Spain (1982), the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland (1999), Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia (2004), Albania and Croatia (2009), Montenegro (2017) and North Macedonia (2020).
• NATO’s Headquarters are located in Brussels, Belgium.

Why in News?

• NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg reiterated calls for a “negotiated settlement” with the Taliban in Afghanistan, admitting the country faced a deeply challenging security situation as foreign troops leave.
• He said that NATO will continue to support Afghanistan, including with funding; civilian presence; and out-of-country training.
• Since early May, violence has surged as the Taliban launched a sweeping assault just days after US-led NATO forces began a withdrawal which is now almost complete.
• The deadly advance has seen the insurgents capture scores of districts, border crossings and encircle several provincial capitals.
• The US descended on Afghanistan and its Taliban government in 2001 in the wake of the 9/11 attacks by Al-Qaeda, which had sought sanctuary in the country.
• There are serious fears that the Taliban’s advance could see the collapse of the country and unravel the tenuous gains made in 20 years of costly involvement in the country.

Reference:

1. https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/nato-chief-urges-negotiated-settlement-in-afghanistan/article35570143.ece