On March 28, the NATO Association of Canada, in partnership with the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association (NATO PA), hosted a reception to celebrate the upcoming 74th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty (“Washington Treaty”), which established NATO, at the Wellington Building in Ottawa.
The NATO Association of Canada commemorates this anniversary annually. This year’s reception focused on developments within the alliance since the Madrid Summit of July 2022 and looked ahead to the Vilnius Summit of July 2023—a theme reflected in the title, “NATO from Madrid to Vilnius.”
The event provided an opportunity for the NATO Association of Canada to engage members of the Ottawa community and to deepen its partnership with parliamentarians and the NATO PA, which shares the aim of informing stakeholders about NATO. As the website of the Parliament of Canada states, “The NATO PA strengthens parliamentary awareness, understanding and oversight of key defence and security issues, and provides greater transparency of NATO policies.”
The reception featured remarks from representatives of both associations. This included the Hon. David Collenette, chair of the NATO Association of Canada, and Julie Dzerowicz, chair of the NATO PA. Roy Eriksson, ambassador of Finland to Canada, also addressed the audience.
The participation of the Finnish representative coincided with a significant milestone. This year marks the first anniversary commemoration since Finland, along with Sweden, have formally sought admission to NATO.
NATO’s expansion speaks to the alliance’s continuing relevance in international affairs and its enduring value in maintaining security. After the reception, Collenette commented on this point: “I was heartened that so many parliamentarians, officials, and diplomats joined us last evening to celebrate NATO as it enters its 75th year, which is a historical achievement in that many international agreements last only a few years or decades. The peace and security Canadians and other NATO members have enjoyed is unprecedented. That’s why uniting in support of Ukraine is so important to the peace of the North Atlantic community.”
