The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation was created in 1949 as a bulwark against the Soviet Union. The 26-nation regional defence alliance is committed to enhancing the stability, well-being and freedom of its members by means of a system of collective security enshrined in Article 9 of the North Atlantic Treaty. The alliance’s HQ is in Brussels.

Nato Members: Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States.

Major Missions: Nato helped end conflicts in Bosnia, Kosovo and head off a civil war in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Its forces are now helping to bring stability to Kosovo and Afghanistan — its biggest ground combat operation.

Nato Expansion: Since the alliance was created in 1949, its membership has grown from the 12 founders to today’s 26 members. As per the Article 10 of the Washington Treaty, membership is open to any “European State in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area”.

New Capabilities: With the Cold War over, the alliance has sought to overhaul its military capabilities to tackle new security threats looming in regions beyond its doorstep, such as terrorism and the spread of weapons of mass destruction. Nations have committed themselves to providing special forces for defence against chemical, biological and nuclear attacks and a host of costly “force enablers” such as transport planes to deploy and sustain troops in far-flung hotspots. But key operations such as the Afghan mission still suffer from frequent shortfalls of troops and equipment.—Reuters