Finland officially became the 31st member of NATO. The procedure was formalized in Brussels today.
Finland is now a member of NATO after Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto deposited the accession documents with the United States, Western media reported.
According to the procedure, during the deposit of the act of accession of Finland to the Alliance, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland to deposit the document on accession to the North Atlantic Treaty. The document was deposited with the US Secretary of State.
At 16:35 Kyiv time, the ceremony of Finland's accession to NATO will take place. There will be a speech by the Secretary General of NATO and the President of Finland.
By the way, Niiniste has already made a statement regarding Finland's accession to NATO. It is posted on the website of the President of Finland.
"Today, Finland has become a member of the NATO defense alliance. The era of military non-alignment in our history has come to an end. A new era is beginning. Every country maximizes its security. Like Finland. At the same time, NATO membership strengthens our international position and expands opportunities for maneuver" , - He indicated.
"Membership in the Alliance ensures the security of Finland. Finland, on the other hand, ensures the security of the Alliance. (...) Finland's membership is not directed against anyone. Nor does it change the foundations or goals of Finland's foreign and security policy. Finland is a stable and predictable Scandinavian a country that seeks the peaceful resolution of disputes. The principles and values that are important to Finland will continue to define our foreign policy in the future," Niiniste said.
At the same time, he noted that as a NATO member, Finland "needs readiness for changes and adaptation". "While membership does not change everything, being an ally requires us to adopt new thinking and make some legislative changes. Much has already been done: for many years we have been committed to developing our interoperability with NATO. There is still considerable work to be done to integrate Finland's defense within the framework of the joint defense forces of NATO. The Defense Forces also face new demands and challenges, which we must respond to," the country's president noted.
Niiniste also mentioned in the statement that Finland has submitted an application to join NATO together with Sweden. "Finland's membership is not complete without Sweden's membership. Persistent efforts for Sweden's membership as soon as possible continue. Likewise, close cooperation continues to strengthen common security and defense in the Nordic region," he concluded.
