Finland’s NATO Ambassador Klaus Korhonen will cross the street to take a letter to NATO Headquarters, after which the mission will celebrate the event on a small scale. After that, everyday life continues normally.
– Anyone could do this.
Finland’s Ambassador to NATO Klaus Korhonen is modest, although the career has accommodated many turning points in history, including the collapse of the Soviet Union. Applying for NATO in Finland is just one more moment.
Korhonen is the head of Finland’s NATO Special Representation in Brussels, and the person who takes the actual letter to NATO headquarters. The letter will possibly be delivered tomorrow, Wednesday. Foreign minister Pekka Haavisto (Greens) will sign a letter of application to NATO this Tuesday evening.
The journey from the Finnish mission to NATO is short, just across the street.
Delivering a letter of application is not a big spectacle, even for the president Sauli Niinistö and the Prime Minister Sanna Marin (sd.) have described Finland’s decision as historic.
The historic decision has required a lot of hours from the staff of the mission. Korhonen does not have working hours due to the nature of the work, but he says that he also worked long days on weekends. If the number of hours had dropped, they would have been quite a bit, he estimates.
In his own words, Korhonen is only taking the decision of political decision-makers to NATO, and his role is no more exciting.
Could you have imagined when you started that you are the person taking the application?
– Frankly, no. When I started, I had to explain more about why Finland does not join NATO. However, Finland has had the NATO option written open and as part of its security policy for a long time, unlike Sweden. It has always been an opportunity.
Will the letter be taken to NATO on paper?
– When the application letter comes from Helsinki, a copy is taken and taken to NATO Headquarters. People go on site, although in principle you could tell us about your interest in joining NATO by taking a coffee break.
Tell me, what kind of work day is it going to be?
– I think it depends on what time the application is submitted. At least I won’t take another program for that day then. It would be nice if we could arrange for us to go together with my Swedish colleague to take both applications.
How far is it from the NATO Special Representation to NATO Headquarters? Do you take the application letter on foot or by car?
– The distance from the Finnish Embassy to NATO Headquarters is so short that it is just a walk. NATO headquarters are in the north-east of Brussels, very close to the airport. We are across the street from the annex, opposite the NATO main building. This is a bit like a university campus.
How are you going to prepare for the event?
– At least not to go to that occasion in shorts, but in a neat suit. However, the opportunity is quite certainly really short, and no more wonderful. There is a truly uncomplicated and straightforward culture in the NATO community, and the diplomatic protocol is always in a stripped-down form.
What are you going to do when the task is completed?
– We have agreed that we will celebrate the event among the people of the mission. This is a small, big step for the mission. The next day the work continues normally.
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