Recent Issues of 2022:

1. Finland and Sweden have applied for membership of NATO.

2. Finland and Sweden have formally applied for membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

3.India had held its first political dialogue with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in December 2019.

What is NATO?

NATO is a Western defensive military alliance led by the United States.

• It is an intergovernmental military alliance.
• Established by Washington treaty.
• Treaty that was signed on 4 April 1949.
• Headquarters — Brussels, Belgium.
• Headquarters of Allied Command Operations — Mons, Belgium.

Significance: It constitutes a system of collective defence whereby its independent member states agree to mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party.

What is the purpose of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization?

 The intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4 April 1949.

To safeguard the freedom and security of all its members by political and military means. Collective defense is at the heart of the Alliance and creates a spirit of solidarity and cohesion among its members.

How does NATO functions?

• NATO has an integrated military command structure
• Most forces remain under full national command and control until member countries agree to undertake NATO-related tasks.
• The Alliance’s decisions must be unanimous and consensual, and
• Its members must respect the basic values that namely democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law.
• NATO’s protection does not extend to members’ civil wars or internal coups.
• NATO is funded by its members.

What are the Objectives of NATO?

To safeguard the freedom and security of all its members by political and military means.

1.Political objectives: NATO promotes democratic values and enables members to consult and cooperate on defense and security-related issues to solve problems, build trust and, in the long run, prevent conflict.

2.Military Objectives: NATO is committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes.

These are carried out under the collective defence clause of NATO’s founding treaty – Article 5 of the Washington Treaty or under a United Nations mandate, alone or in cooperation with other countries and international organisations.

Is India a NATO ally?

In September 2011, the NATO alliance invited India to be a partner in its ballistic missile defense (BMD).

Which country recently joined NATO?

Montenegro became NATO’s latest member in the year 2017. North Macedonia is expected to enter the alliance as the 30th member in the first quarter of 2020. Spain has still yet to ratify the accession protocol.

What is the significance of India’s talks with NATO?

The North Atlantic alliance has been engaging both China and Pakistan in bilateral dialogue.

Engaging China– Until 2019, NATO had held nine rounds of talks with Beijing, and the Chinese Ambassador in Brussels and NATO’s Deputy Secretary General engaged with each other every quarter.

Engaging Pakistan– NATO had also been in political dialogue and military cooperation with Pakistan

It opened selective training for Pakistani officers and its military delegation visited Pakistan in November 2019 for military staff talks.

India’s talk with NATO–  It provide New Delhi an opportunity to bring about a balance in NATO’s perceptions about the situation in regions and issues of concerns to India.

What common ground does India have with NATO?

India’s perspective– In New Delhi’s assessment, there was a convergence in the perspectives of both India and NATO on

-China

-Terrorism

-Afghanistan, including Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan

NATO’s perspective– From NATO’s perspective, Russia is whose aggressive actions continued to be the main threat to Euro-Atlantic security.

China factor– While NATO did deliberate on China’s rise, the conclusion was that China presented both a challenge and an opportunity.

Other areas– The Indian side felt maritime security was a principal area of conversation in the future, given a substantial common ground with NATO.

Next steps– In NATO’s view, India, given its geo-strategic position and unique perspectives on  issues, was relevant to international security and could be an important partner.

New Delhi may consider proposals emanating from NATO, if any, on bilateral cooperation in areas of interest to India, based on the progress achieved in the initial rounds.