How do countries cooperate with each other?
Without the cooperation of our family, friends, and others, we can't survive. It is the same for countries as well.
Every country needs support from other countries to fulfil the needs of its people. For example, India often buys fuel from other countries. This fuel is then sold to all of us through petrol pumps. Countries enter into treaties with one another to help each other. One such treaty is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
What is NATO?
NATO is a treaty for defence cooperation between thirty countries. The most important purpose of NATO is collective defence.
It means that if one NATO member is attacked, other member countries will also consider it an attack on them and will fight the attackers together.
This May, Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership and were recently invited to join NATO. Let’s find out why they applied.
Why did Sweden and Finland apply to join NATO?
Both countries applied for NATO membership due to the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Unfortunately, both countries fear they might get into a conflict with Russia, like Ukraine.
They also fear that they cannot defend themselves alone and need support from other countries. The quickest way to get this support is by joining NATO.
What happens if they accept the invitation?
After accepting the invitation, both countries will go through a long process to become NATO members. If they become NATO members, they will get military support from other NATO countries. But Russia has criticised NATO's decision to invite Sweden and Finland to join.
Are there other treaties like NATO?
Yes - Russia is also part of one such treaty with five other countries. It is called the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
Is India part of any military treaties?
No - India has not entered any military treaty with any country but does cooperate with Russia, France, etc., for military drills and training. All countries in the world working with each other is just like a group of friends working on a group project, isn’t it?
