Uploaded May 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

---

This short clip covers the welcoming ceremony of Spain, as NATO’s 16th member, in the Bundestag in Bonn in the Federal Republic of Germany.

The ceremony was held on 10th June 1982, a few days after Spain’s accession on 30th May.

After seeing Heads of State and Government arrive at the venue, as well as NATO Secretary General Joseph Luns, the camera takes us inside the German Parliament.

First, we see the Spanish flag being added to the line of flags of the 15 other member countries, against the backdrop of the stage. We are then shown the entire chamber and the rows of leaders listening to the opening speech.

Here is an extract:

“This is a great moment in NATO’s history because we are celebrating the addition of the Alliance’s 16th member, Spain. The decision by Europe’s youngest democracy freely to associate her destiny with the collective security and welfare of the West stands as the (inaudible) and irrefutable testimony to the continued vitality of NATO and to its continued relevance as the necessary guarantee of our liberty and fundamental values. While the accession of Spain to the North Atlantic Treaty offers fresh and convincing cause for a new phase in the future of the Alliance, we must not be complacent.”

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Discover the untold stories of NATO. from its birth onwards on: bit.ly/NATOdeclassified

SUBSCRIBE to this NATO History bit.ly/NATOHistorySubscribe
SUBSCRIBE to NATO Channel bit.ly/NATOsubscribe
SUBSCRIBE to NATO News bit.ly/NATONewsSubscribe


Connect with NATO online:

Visit the Official NATO Homepage: bit.ly/NATOhomepage
Find NATO on FACEBOOK: bit.ly/NATOfacebook
Follow @NATO on TWITTER: bit.ly/NATOtwitter
Find NATO on Google+: bit.ly/NATOgoogleplus
Find NATO on LinkedIn: bit.ly/NATOlinkedin
Find NATO on Flickr: bit.ly/NATOflickr

#NATO #NATOHistory #Spain