CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -North Macedonia is the newest member of NATO; it joined the alliance in 2020. In May 2022 Sweden and Finland announced their intention to join NATO in response to Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

Detailed explanation-2: -The most recent member states to join NATO were Montenegro on 5 June 2017 and North Macedonia on 27 March 2020. In July 2022, NATO invited Finland and Sweden to join the organization, and the ratification process for the two countries is in progress. In September 2022, Ukraine applied for NATO membership.

Detailed explanation-3: -The Republic of North Macedonia became the latest country to join the Alliance on 27 March 2020. Currently, five partner countries have declared their aspirations to NATO membership: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, Georgia, Sweden and Ukraine.

Detailed explanation-4: -On 4 April 1949, the foreign ministers from 12 countries signed the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) at the Departmental Auditorium in Washington, D.C.: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Detailed explanation-5: -Despite these disagreements, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland joined NATO in 1999; Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia were admitted in 2004; and Albania and Croatia acceded to the alliance in 2009.