The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) summit in Washington began with a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the alliance.

The ceremony took place in Washington’s Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, where the North Atlantic Treaty was signed by 12 countries in 1949.

NATO Heads of State and Government and their spouses entered the ballroom first, followed by the invited leaders of Ukraine, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.

Heads of state and government from 32 NATO member states attended the ceremony and joined NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on stage.