Today marks the 73rd anniversary of NATO. Since its foundation on April 4th 1949, NATO has guaranteed the security and safety of Allied citizens in Europe and North America. Today, the Alliance includes 30 countries and one billion people.
To mark this anniversary, capitals across the Alliance are illuminating buildings in NATO blue and raising the NATO flag at important monuments. In Brussels, for instance, flags are flying under the Cinquantenaire and at the entrance to the Atomium.
As NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg writes in the foreword of his recent Annual Report for 2021, the Alliance stands united in the face of new security challenges: “While our security environment has changed dramatically in the last decade, our fundamental values have not, and neither has NATO Allies’ commitment to protect and defend each other. The bond between Europe and North America is stronger than ever. Together in NATO, we will continue to keep our one billion people safe and free.”