Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
Foreign Ministers met at NATO Headquarters today, Thursday (4 April 2024), to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the signing of the alliance’s founding document, NATO. A statement issued by NATO headquarters in Brussels said that since 1949, the Alliance has worked to ensure peace, democracy and prosperity for its members, who now number 32 Allies and one billion people on both sides of the Atlantic. This year's NATO Day comes just weeks after Sweden joined as the alliance's 32nd member.
Monuments throughout Brussels commemorate the anniversary of the founding of NATO. In the Parc du Cinquantenaire, the NATO flag flies under the Memorial Arch
In a speech to mark the anniversary, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed “NATO is bigger, stronger and more united than ever before.” He welcomed the presentation of the founding treaty, which is usually kept in Washington, D.C., at NATO headquarters for the first time, saying: “There has never been a single document containing so few words that meant so much to so many people. So much security, So much prosperity, much peace. “All because of a solemn promise: to stand together, and protect each other, as we have done for 75 years.”
Monuments throughout Brussels commemorate the anniversary of the founding of NATO. In the Parc du Cinquantenaire, the NATO flag flies under the Memorial Arch, and buildings in the city are illuminated in NATO blue, including Brussels City Hall and the Palais Egmont. The famous Manneken Pis statue, one of Brussels' most famous symbols, dresses up in a NATO Day costume to join in the celebrations.
Other allies are also marking the anniversary with events including public debates, musical performances and the lighting of buildings in NATO blue.,