Czechia celebrates 24 years in NATO

The Czech Republic celebrated 24 years since joining NATO on Sunday. It officially joined the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance, together with Poland and Hungary, on March 12, 1999.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala described the entry of the Czech Republic into NATO as one of the most important events in the country's modern history on Twitter, adding that NATO membership ensures Czechia's security and that due to Russia's war in Ukraine, it has become apparent how essential it is for the country to be part of the alliance. He also emphasised Czechia's contribution to NATO.

NATO was founded in 1949 as a response to the growing military threat of the Soviet Union, but after the collapse of Communism in eastern Europe and the breakup of the Soviet Union, some commentators saw the military alliance as having lost its purpose. However, with Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, there has been a surge of renewed interest in and emphasis on NATO, with countries that had previously stayed out of the alliance, such as Finland and Sweden, applying for membership.