Book Description

Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress NATO's 60th Anniversary Summit Summary On April 3 and 4, 2009, the heads of state and government of the 26 members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) met in Strasbourg, France, and Kehl, Germany for a summit marking the 60th anniversary of the alliance. [...] The deteriorating security situation in the country has caused many to question the ability of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to achieve its objectives and has exposed rifts within the alliance as to ISAF's mission and the appropriate means to accomplish it. [...] Additional issues facing the alliance include: the future of a proposed U. S. missile defense system to be deployed in Poland and the Czech Republic; the direction of NATO- EU relations; an on-going debate over capabilities, the size of defense budgets, and burdensharing among the allies; and NATO's role in addressing a range of emerging challenges including arms control and weapons proliferation, [...] Congressional action could include hearings and/or legislation on: NATO's 60th anniversary and the future of the alliance; NATO's mission in Afghanistan and the refinement of military-led reconstruction efforts; the qualifications of candidate states for allied membership; establishing an improved NATO-EU relationship; and the military capabilities of NATO member states. [...] The allies also pledged to strengthen NATO efforts to enhance cooperation between the Afghan and Pakistani governments, to increase Alliance engagement with all countries in the region, and to support better Afghan and NATO coordination with the United Nations Assistance Mission Afghanistan (UNAMA).