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Why did NATO establish its headquarters in Brussels?
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Brussels
Grand' Place (Grote Markt), Brussels.
NATO established its headquarters in Brussels in 1967 following a significant shift in its relationship with France. In 1966, French President Charles de Gaulle formally withdrew France from the organization's integrated military command structure and required that all NATO forces and headquarters be removed from French soil.12
As a result of this mandate, the alliance relocated its headquarters from Paris to the commune of Evere in Brussels. Since that move, Brussels has served as a central international hub, hosting both the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and various institutions of the European Union.13