Stag Special

Defence Minister Anita Anand and Foreign Affairs Minister issued statement marking 74th anniversary of founding of NATO:

“On this day 74 years ago, Canada and 11 Allies signed the Washington Treaty and founded the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Today, with 31 Allies, NATO continues to ensure the security of the Euro-Atlantic community and safeguard the freedom of our people, based on the principles of democracy, individual liberty, and the rule of law.

“As a founding member of the Alliance, Canada plays a leading role in strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defence posture, including through Operation REASSURANCE where approximately 1,100 Canadian Armed Forces [CAF] members are deployed, making it Canada’s largest current international military operation. As part of this commitment, Canada continues to lead enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Latvia, a ten-nation multinational battlegroup, where alongside NATO Allies, we are helping to make Central and Eastern Europe more secure and stable, bolstering defence and deterrence, and contributing to the greater security of the Euro-Atlantic area.

“The events of the past year, including Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable war in Ukraine, have reminded us of NATO’s crucial role in detecting, deterring, and countering threats in an uncertain and rapidly changing security environment. In unity with our Allies, we continue to increase the Alliance’s collective defence capabilities to better promote and preserve global peace, security, and prosperity.

“Canada is stepping up to address rapidly growing security threats, including the impacts of climate change on security at home and abroad. This is why we are working to launch the NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence (CCASCOE) in Montreal. This ongoing initiative demonstrates our common resolve with our Allies to develop, enhance, and share knowledge on the challenges posed by climate change. Once established, the CCASCOE will facilitate the development of required capabilities and best practices to address the security impacts of climate change, with the aim of enhancing the security of Canada, NATO Allies and partners, and people around the world.

“We further recognize the need for NATO to adapt and keep pace with the threats posed by emerging and disruptive technologies. Canada is working with Allies to establish the NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA), a network of innovation sites in North America and Europe and looks forward to hosting the North American Regional Office of this initiative. Through DIANA, we will help to facilitate cooperation between military operators and the Alliance’s best and brightest start-ups, scientific researchers, and technology companies to help the Alliance maintain its technological edge.

“NATO is stronger and more unified than ever. As we mark the 74th anniversary of NATO, Canada’s commitment to the Alliance remains steadfast.”

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The North Atlantic Treaty was signed in Washington on April 4, 1949, establishing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This political and military alliance was formed to promote the stability of the North Atlantic area and to safeguard the freedom of its peoples, based on the principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law.

The Alliance is the embodiment of the transatlantic link that binds North American and European security. The Alliance’s latest Strategic Concept sets out three core tasks: collective defence, crisis management and co-operative security.

Canada was a founding member of the Alliance and has remained as a member since its inception. NATO is a major contributor to international peace and security and is the cornerstone of Canadian security and defence policy.

Canada’s priority for NATO is to ensure the Alliance remains modern, flexible, agile and able to face current and future threats. This goal drives all of Canada’s efforts on NATO transformation, reform and partnerships with non-NATO countries.

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) are among the most engaged, agile, deployable and responsive armed forces within NATO, and Canada is proud to have contributed to nearly every NATO operation since the founding of the Alliance more than seven decades ago. Canada’s participation in NATO operations around the world exemplifies our commitment to the Alliance.

NATO is an active and leading contributor to peace and security on the international stage. It promotes democratic values and is committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes. However, if diplomatic efforts fail, it has the military capacity needed to undertake crisis-management operations, alone or in cooperation with other countries and international organizations.

Currently, NATO has operations in Europe, including in Kosovo and along the Alliance’s eastern flank, as well as air policing and maritime operations. Outside the Euro-Atlantic, NATO operations include NATO Mission Iraq and co-operation with the African Union.

In April 2021, Allies decided to start the withdrawal of NATO-led Resolute Support Mission (RSM) forces from Afghanistan. The mission was terminated in September 2021. NATO completed a lessons learned exercise in November 2021. Through Op ALLIED SOLACE, NATO co-ordinated the evacuation and resettlement of more than 1,000 NATO-Affiliated Afghan contractors and their families.

To be an effective political-military Alliance, fit to deal with the challenges of the 21st Century, NATO must pursue cooperation with other partners. In this context, extending regional security through co-operative partnerships continues to be crucial.

Under Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty, NATO’s door remains open to any European country in a position to further the principles of the Treaty and to contribute to security in the Euro-Atlantic area. Five countries currently seek to join NATO: Finland, Sweden, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Ukraine.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership on May 18, 2022. NATO Ambassadors signed the Accession Protocols for Finland and Sweden on July 5, 2022, and on the same day, Canada became the first country to ratify them. Once all Allies have ratified the Accession Protocols, Finland and Sweden will be invited to accede to the Washington Treaty and officially join NATO. Finland just recently joined NATO, with Sweden up next.

Canada strongly supports NATO’s “open-door policy” and looks forward to fulfilling the commitments made to aspirant countries, as well as to welcoming new members into the Alliance.