North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

In 1949, Canada was among the countries that created the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). A collective defence organization during the Cold War, NATO has received much broader mandates in recent years, becoming a security and cooperation organization at the service of peace. (Canada. Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade).

The Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) is a multilateral forum where NATO member and partner countries meet on a regular basis to discuss political and security-related issues and develop cooperation in a wide range of areas. At present, there are 49 members: 26 NATO member countries and 23 partner countries.

NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue was launched at the December 1994 Brussels Ministerial meeting and currently involves seven non-NATO nations in the Mediterranean: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia. The Dialogue reflects the Allies' view that security in Europe is closely linked to security in the Mediterranean region.