Neutral and Non-Aligned European States

Neutral and Non-Aligned European States, sometimes known by abbreviation NN states,^[1][2] was a Cold War era informal grouping of states in Europe which were neither part of NATO nor Warsaw Pact but were either neutral or members of the Non-Aligned Movement. The group brought together neutral countries of Austria, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland on one, and non-aligned SFR Yugoslavia, Cyprus and Malta on the other hand, all of which together shared interest in preservation of their independent non-bloc position with regard to NATO, European Community, Warsaw Pact and the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance.^[3] Established and comparatively highly developed European neutral countries perceived cooperation with non-aligned countries (particularly with SFR Yugoslavia as one of the leaders of the group) as a way to advocate for peace, disarmament and superpowers' restraint more forcefully than their limited earlier cooperation would permit.^[4]

The group cooperated within the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) in trying to preserve the results of the Helsinki Accords.^[5] In this framework, Yugoslavia cooperated with Austria and Finland on mediation between blocs, organized a second CSCE summit in 1977 in Belgrade and proposed drafts on national minorities protection which are still valid and integral parts of OSCE provisions on minority rights.^[6]

See also

• Declaration of Neutrality
  • Austria–NATO relations
• Finlandization
  • Finland–NATO relations
• Swedish neutrality
  • Sweden–NATO relations
• Swiss neutrality
  • Switzerland–NATO relations
• Yugoslavia and the Non-Aligned Movement
  • Balkan Pact
• Cyprus and the Non-Aligned Movement
  • Cyprus–NATO relations
• Malta and the Non-Aligned Movement
  • Malta–NATO relations
• 1995 enlargement of the European Union
• 2004 enlargement of the European Union
• Neutral member states in the European Union
• Partnership for Peace
• European microstates

References

Further reading

• Hanna Ojanen, ed. (2003). Neutrality and non-alignment in Europe today (PDF). Finnish Institute of International Affairs. ISBN 951-769-151-3.
• Mark Kramer; Aryo Makko; Peter Ruggenthaler, eds. (2021). The Soviet Union and Cold War Neutrality and Nonalignment in Europe. Lexington Books. ISBN 9781793631930.
• S. Victor Papacosma; Mark R. Rubin, eds. (1989). Europe's neutral and nonaligned states: between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. Wilmington. ISBN 0842022694.

External links

• Media related to Neutral and Non-Aligned European States at Wikimedia Commons