NATO'S PURPOSE

An Alliance of sovereign countries - The North Atlantic Treaty was signed in 1949 and created an alliance of sovereign countries committed to each other's defence. NATO is not a supranational organisation: it is a platform which allows member countries to meet and take collective decisions, enabling them to achieve national security objectives through collective effort. The representatives of each member country consult and participate in each decision that is taken within the forum that NATO provides. Members maintain their independence and sovereignty. A NATO decision is therefore the unanimous decision of 19 governments. The member countries are: Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

NATO's essential purpose - To safeguard the freedom and security of its members through political and military means, NATO performs the following security tasks:

• Security: NATO provides one of the indispensable foundations for a stable Euro-Atlantic security
  environment, based on the growth of democratic institutions and commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes.

• Consultation: NATO serves as an essential transatlantic forum for consultations between North American and European members on any issues that affect their vital interests. This transatlantic
  link is the bedrock of the Alliance.

• Deterrence and defence: NATO deters and defends against any threat of aggression against any NATO member state. An attack against one or several members is considered as an attack
  against all. This is the principal of collective defence.

In order to reinforce security and stability in the whole of the Euro-Atlantic area, beyond the borders of its member countries, NATO also performs the following tasks:

• Crisis management: NATO is prepared to contribute to conflict prevention and engage in crisis management, including crisis response operations. This has been the case in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (1).

• Partnerships: Since the end of the Cold War, NATO has been able to develop partnerships with neighbouring countries. It has set up several forums to encourage dialogue and cooperation
  between NATO and non-NATO countries: Partnership for Peace (1994), the Mediterranean Dialogue (1994), the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (1997), which replaced the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (1991), the NATO-Ukraine Commission (1997) and the NATO-Russia Council (2002), which replaced the NATO-Russia Permanent Joint Council (1997).

In summary, NATO contributes to the security environment by defending democratic values, individual liberty and the rule of law; working for peace and stability across the Euro-Atlantic area through the collective defence of its members and through partnerships with non-NATO countries; and by taking a leading role in peacekeeping and crisis response operations. By contributing to peace and security, NATO helps to create the appropriate climate for political stability and economic growth.

(1) Turkey recognises the Republic of Macedonia with its constitutional name.