North Atlantic Treaty Organization

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North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Intergovernmental organization, military alliance of the USA, Canada, and 17 European countries. The original treaty was signed (1949) in Washington, D.C., by Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Netherlands, and the USA. Greece, Turkey, Spain, and Germany joined later. In 1999, despite Russian opposition, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland joined. NATO's headquarters is in Brussels. During the Cold War, it was the focus of the West's defence against the Soviet Union. In 1995, NATO led the International Implementation Force to enforce the Dayton Peace Accord in Bosnia-Herzegovina. In 1999, NATO launched its first military operation – to prevent the genocide in the Yugoslavian province of Kosovo.

http://www.nato.int

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North Atlantic Treaty Organization

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North Atlantic Treaty Organization