What Does NATO do?
Does
NATO have it`s own Armed Forces?
What are the conditions for joining NATO? Which countries are eligible?
What is NATO`s
role in the fight against piracy?
What is
NATO`s position on Iraq?
What is
NATO`s role in the fight against terrorism?
Is NATO
involved in Afghanistan?
What
is Russia`s status? - Is it a partner country?
What are the official languages of NATO?
How much does NATO
cost and who pays for it?
Recommended books on NATO
Q: What does NATO do?
A: The North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an alliance of 28 countries from
North America and Europe committed to fulfilling the goals of the North
Atlantic Treaty signed on 4 April 1949. In accordance with the Treaty, the
fundamental role of NATO is to safeguard the freedom and security of its
member countries by political and military means. NATO is playing an
increasingly important role in crisis management and peacekeeping.
For more
information, please see:
Welcome to NATO
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Q: Does NATO have its own
armed forces?
A: All member
countries that participate in the military aspect of the Alliance contribute
forces and equipment, which together constitute the integrated military
structure of the Alliance. These forces and assets remain under national
command and control until a time when they are required by NATO a specific
purpose (i.e. conflict or crisis, peacekeeping). NATO, however, does possess
some common capabilities owned and operated by the Alliance, such as the
AWACS early warning radar aircraft.
For more
information, please see:
NATO Handbook
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Q: What are the conditions for joining NATO? Which countries are eligible?
A: NATO has an
open door policy with regard to enlargement. Any European country in a
position to further the principles of the Washington Treaty and contribute
to security in the Euro-Atlantic area can become a member of the Alliance at
the invitation of the North Atlantic Council.
Countries
aspiring for NATO membership are also expected to meet certain political,
economic and military goals in order to ensure that they will become
contributors to Alliance security as well as beneficiaries of it.
NATO’s Membership
Action Plan (MAP) is designed to assist aspirant partner countries in their
preparations by providing a framework which enables NATO to channel
assistance and practical support to them on all aspects of NATO membership.
For more
information, please see:
NATO Enlargement
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Q: What is
NATO’s role in the fight against piracy?
A: Nato is very
much involved in countering piracy with
Operation Ocean Shield, which is NATO’s contribution
to international efforts to combat piracy off the Horn of Africa. This
commenced on the 17 August 2009 after the North Atlantic Council (NAC)
approved the mission. Operation Ocean Shield builds on the experience gained
during Operation Allied Protector, NATOs’ previous counter-piracy mission,
and develops a distinctive NATO role based on the broad strength of the
Alliance by adopting a more comprehensive approach to counter-piracy
efforts.
While at-sea counter-piracy operations will continue to be the focus, a
new element of regional-state counter-piracy capacity building has been
developed for Operation Ocean Shield. NATO’s capacity building effort will
aim to assist regional states, upon their request, in developing their own
ability to combat piracy activities. This element of the operation is
designed to complement the efforts of existing international organisations
and forces operating in the area and will contribute to a lasting maritime
security solution off the Horn of Africa.
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Q: What is NATO’s position on
Iraq?
A: The campaign
against Iraq in 2003 was conducted by a coalition of forces from different
countries, some of which were NATO member countries and some were not. NATO
as an organisation had no role in the campaign but undertook a number of
measures in accordance with Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, to
ensure the security of one of its members, Turkey, in the event of a threat
to it resulting from the war in Iraq. On 21 May 2003, the Alliance also
agreed to support Poland, a member of NATO, in its leadership of a sector in
the stabilization force in Iraq.
In August 2004,
in response to a request by the Iraqi Interim Government, NATO established a
Training Implementation Mission in Iraq. NATO is involved in training,
equipping, and technical assistance - not combat. The aim of the Mission is
to help Iraq build the capability of its Government to address the security
needs of the Iraqi people.
For more
information, please see:
NATO and Iraq
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Q: What is
NATO’s role in the fight against terrorism?
A: On 12
September 2001, less than 24 hours after the terrorist attacks against the
United States, NATO declared the attacks to be an attack against all the 19
NATO member countries within the terms of Article 5 of the North Atlantic
Treaty.
This landmark
decision was followed by practical measures aimed at assisting the United
States in different fields, in relation to its campaign against terrorism.
For more
information, please see:
NATO's contribution to the fight against terrorism
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Q: Is NATO involved in
Afghanistan?
A: Yes. Through
its leadership of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), NATO
is helping establish the conditions in which Afghanistan can enjoy a
representative government and self-sustaining peace and security.
The Alliance took
over command and coordination of ISAF in August 2003. Initially restricted
to providing security in and around Kabul, NATO-led ISAF has gradually
extended its reach and is now responsible for security across the whole
country. This is the first mission outside the Euro-Atlantic area in NATO’s
history.
For more
information, please see:
NATO in Afghanistan
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Q: What is
Russia’s status – Is it a partner country?
A: Yes. NATO and
Russia made a reciprocal commitment to work together to build a stable,
secure and undivided continent on the basis of partnership and common
interest in 1997.
This commitment
was strengthened in May 2002, with the establishment of the NATO-Russia
Council, which brings together the 28 NATO Allies and Russia to identify and
pursue opportunities for joint action as equal partners.
For more
information, please see:
NATO-Russia relations
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Q: What are the
official languages of NATO?
A: The two
official languages of NATO are English and French.
For more
information, please see:
Final Communiqué following the meeting of the North Atlantic Council on 17
Sept. 1949.
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Q: How much does
NATO cost and who pays for it?
A: NATO is an
intergovernmental organization to which member nations allocate the
resources needed to enable it to function on a day-to-day basis. There are
three budgets: one civil and two military. Each NATO member country pays an
amount into the budgets based on an agreed cost-sharing formula. Taken
together, these budgets represent less than half of one percent of the total
defence budget expenditures of NATO countries.
For more
information, please see:
NATO Handbook
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Q: What are some
recommended books on NATO?
A: Publications
from the NATO Public Diplomacy Division provide a lot of useful information
and are available at the following URL :
http://www.nato.int/docu/
Those who are
interested in the history and the beginnings of the Organization can read:
NATO : The First
Five Years : 1949-1954 by Lord Ismay, which is in fact the first NATO
handbook. This text has been digitised by the NATO Archives and is available
at this URL :
http://www.nato.int/archives/1st5years/index.htm
Even if a real
history of the Organization is still to be written, two books can be of
interest :
· A
History of NATO : The First Fifty Years / edited by Gustav Schmidt. -
Houndmills, UK : Palgrave, 2001. - 3 vol.
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