
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.
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.
Current NATO member states:
The non-NATO states and organisations currently participating:
| Year | Date | Country | City | Type | Context | Host leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 13 June | Brussels | Special meeting | Formalisation of "Membership Action Plans" | Secretary General George Robertson | |
| 2002 | 28 May | Rome | NATO–Russia summit | Upgrading of Russia–NATO relations to NATO–Russia Permanent Joint Council. | Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi | |
| 2015 | 28 July | Brussels | Special meeting | Activation of Article 4 by Turkey following the Suruç bombing. | Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg | |
| 2017 | 25 May | Brussels | Prime Minister Charles Michel | |||
| 2019 | 3–4 December | Watford | Prime Minister Boris Johnson | |||
| 2022 | 25 February | Virtual summit | Extraordinary summit | Activation of Article 4 by eight Eastern European states following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. | Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg | |
| 2022 | 24 March | Brussels | Extraordinary summit | Russian invasion of Ukraine | Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg | |