North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO):
-
NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty signed in April 1949.
-
It consists of 30 independent member countries across North America and Europe.
-
It is based on a system of collective defence whereby its member states agree to mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party.
-
NATO’s headquarters are located in Brussels, Belgium.
-
Its headquarters of Allied Command Operations is near Mons.
-
The combined military spending of all NATO members constitutes over 70% of the global defence spending.
-
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.