NATO pays last tribute to its old home
The flags of NATO and its Allies were lowered for the last time at the old headquarters of the Alliance in Brussels. In a final tribute to the building that hosted NATO for more than fifty years, soldiers from the 29 member nations took down their national flags in a small ceremony today (10 July 2019).
Built in less than six months in 1966, the old headquarters was planned to be a temporary home for the Alliance, before it relocated to more permanent premises in Brussels.
However, it ended up being NATO’s home - and the venue of many decisions that shaped history - for 51 years. The move to the new headquarters, fit for a modern, forward-looking Alliance with 29 members, took place in 2018.
The old site will soon be handed over to NATO’s host nation Belgium, which will decide on its future use.