On the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte reaffirmed the Allies' support for the United States. Rutte guaranteed that the member countries of the Atlantic Alliance continue to stand by the USA on this day of commemoration.
The Secretary-General recalled that it was on this day, 25 years ago, that NATO activated for the only time in its history Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. This article refers to the principle of collective defense, which establishes that an attack against one ally is considered an attack against all members of the Alliance.
This activation of Article 5 marked a historic moment for the transatlantic military organization, which responded unanimously to the terrorist attack that struck American territory.
