South-East Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO)

• SEATO was a regional defence organisation active from 1955 to 1977, established by the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty signed on September 8, 1954, in Manila.

• Its members included Australia, France, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

• SEATO aimed to prevent communist expansion in Southeast Asia, particularly in Korea, Indochina, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

• The organisation did not have standing forces but relied on the military capabilities of its member states.

• SEATO was formally dissolved on June 30, 1977, due to internal conflicts and the changing geopolitical landscape.

Central Treaty Organization (CENTO)

• CENTO, originally called the Middle East Treaty Organization, was a mutual security organisation from 1955 to 1979.

• Its founding members were Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and initially Iraq, with headquarters in Baghdad.

• The organisation aimed to counter Soviet expansion into the Middle East's vital oil-producing regions.

• After Iraq's withdrawal in 1959, CENTO's headquarters moved to Ankara, and the United States became an associate member, and  the name of the organisation was changed to CENTO

• CENTO was dissolved in 1979 following the Iranian Revolution and Iran's subsequent withdrawal.