User:DecafPotato/drafts/Member states of NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an international military alliance consisting of 32 member states in Europe and North America.

Background
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an international military alliance. Established in 1949 with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, D.C., NATO's goal was to counter the threat posed by the Soviet Union in Europe. The North Atlantic Treaty stipulated that an armed attack on a NATO member state would be considered an attack against all members, provided that it occurred in the European and North American mainlands, islands above the Tropic of Cancer, Turkey, or French Algeria.

Accession process
NATO had 12 member states when it was formed in 1949; four more members joined throughout the course of the Cold War. Since the disestablishment of its chief rival, the Warsaw Pact, and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, membership has doubled from 16 states to 32 states. While two members of the alliance—the United States and Canada—are located in North America, membership in NATO is open to only European states "in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area." A state can accede to NATO only with the unanimous consent of all present members of the alliance.

In 1999, NATO introduced the Membership Action Plan (MAP) as a step for aspiring members to be reviewed by current members. 11 states have joined NATO after first participating in the MAP.

Aspiring member states
, NATO recognizes three countries as aspiring members: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Ukraine.

The parliament of Kosovo adopted a resolution in 2022 urging the Kosovar government to "take all necessary steps" toward NATO membership.