A NATO summit is a summit meeting that is regarded as a periodic opportunity for heads of state and heads of government of NATO member countries to evaluate and provide strategic direction for Alliance activities.[1]
NATO summits are not regular meetings like the more frequent NATO ministerial meetings, but rather are important junctures in the alliance's decision-making process on the highest level. Summits are often used to introduce new policy, invite new members into the alliance, launch major new initiatives, and build partnerships with non-NATO countries.
The following lists current NATO member states:
The following lists non-NATO states and organisations currently participating:
From the founding of NATO in 1949, there have been a total of thirty-three NATO summits. Only the traditional summits have received an official number, thereby excluding the exceptional summits of 2001 and 2022 in NATO headquarters in Brussels.[2]
The last NATO summit took place in Washington, D.C., United States from 9 to 11 July 2024.