President Niinistö will travel to Brussels on Tuesday for the accession ceremony. The Finnish flag will be raised to fly at the NATO headquarters.
Sakari Nuuttila,
Rikhard Husu
13:24•Updated 15:37
BRUSSELS / HELSINKI Finland will become a member of the military alliance NATO tomorrow, Tuesday, confirms the Office of the President of the Republic.
The president of the Republic Sauli Niinistö travels to Brussels and attends the official accession ceremony at NATO headquarters.
Foreign minister Pekka Haavisto (green) deposits Finland’s accession documents to the US government in Brussels before the start of the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting. In addition to Niinistö and Haavisto, the Minister of Defense will participate in the flag-raising ceremony celebrating Finland’s membership at NATO headquarters Antti Kaikkonen (middle).
The matter was also confirmed by the Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg in his press conference. He welcomed Finland as NATO’s 31st member country and emphasized that it was the fastest accession process in NATO’s history.
Stoltenberg also added that he is sure that Sweden, which remained in NATO’s lobby, will also be made a member of the alliance. Meanwhile, Finland’s membership also strengthens Sweden’s security and rapprochement with NATO, the Secretary General said.
– Sweden will not be left alone, Stoltenberg assured.
Haavisto: The most important thing is NATO’s support for Ukraine
In addition to the celebrations, Foreign Minister Haavisto will represent Finland at the NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting starting on the same day.
– The most important thing for Finland at the meeting is to emphasize NATO’s support for Ukraine as Russia continues its illegal war of aggression. We want to promote stability and security in the entire Euro-Atlantic region, Haavisto says in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ press release.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, one of the most important topics of the meeting of foreign ministers is NATO’s support for Ukraine. The meeting is described as an important stage in the preparations for the Vilnius Summit in July.
Rumors circulated in Brussels beforehand
According to information circulating in Brussels in advance, Finland’s full membership could possibly be confirmed already in conjunction with the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting starting on Tuesday.
Haavisto evaluates on Sunday evening Helsingin Sanomat (you switch to another service) in the interview, that the membership could be formally accepted already in Brussels without submitting documents to Washington.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also told in advance that this possibility is being investigated.
Norwegian VG magazine (you switch to another service) according to sources, the details are being feverishly finalized before the two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers starting tomorrow.
According to the newspaper, both Finland and Turkey, which was the last to ratify Finland’s membership, are preparing to deliver the necessary documents to Brussels, where they would be handed over to the US Secretary of State To Antony Blinken.
In the past, the understanding has been that membership will only come into effect when Finland’s representative deposits the accession documents with the US State Department in Washington.
Sources: STT