Sweden has officially become the 32nd member of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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    Sweden has officially become the 32nd member of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

    Posted 11 Mar 2024

    Updated 27 Mar 2024

    2 min read

    • Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 led Sweden along with Finland to apply for NATO membership.
      • In 2023, Finland became the 31st NATO member, followed by Sweden, making entire Nordic region the part of NATO
         
    • Significance of NATO expansion: Comprehensive defence capabilities, strategic influence over Baltic Sea and robust defence industry. 
       
    • NATO is a transatlantic political and military alliance established by the North Atlantic Treaty (Washington Treaty), 1949.
      • Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium
      • Original purposes: Deterring Soviet expansionism, forbidding the revival of nationalist militarism in Europe, and European political integration.
      • Important NATO policies: 
        • Article 5: It establishes a system of collective defense, stating that an attack against one member country is considered an attack against all member countries.
        • Article 10: NATO membership is open to any other European state which can further Treaty principles and to contribute to security of North Atlantic area.
      • 12 Founding member countries: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, UK and USA.
        • Since 1949, NATO’s membership has increased from 12 to 32 countries through 10 rounds of enlargement
        • Countries aspiring for NATO membership: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Ukraine.
    • Tags :
    • NATO
    • 32nd NATO member
    • North Atlantic Treaty
    • North Atlantic Treaty Organization
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