Finland Officially Becomes 31st Member Of NATO

04/04/2023

61 1 minute read

Finnish and Nato flags flutter at the courtyard of the Foreign Ministry in Helsinki, Finland, ahead of accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on April 4, 2023. - Finland becomes the 31st member of NATO, in a historic strategic shift provoked by Moscow's war on Ukraine, which doubles the US-led alliance's border with Russia. (Photo by Antti Hämäläinen / Lehtikuva / AFP) / Finland OUT / FINLAND OUT

Finland officially became the 31st member of NATO on Tuesday, wrapping up its historic strategic shift with the deposit of its accession documents to the alliance.

The Nordic nation’s accession was sealed during a formal ceremony at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg were on hand as the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Pekka Haavisto, established Finland’s accession.

“Finland has today become a member of the defense alliance NATO. The era of military non-alignment in our history has come to an end. A new era begins,” the Finnish presidency made this known in a statement.

“Each country maximizes its own security. So does Finland. At the same time, NATO membership strengthens our international position and room for maneuvering. As a partner, we have long actively participated in NATO activities. In the future, Finland will make a contribution to NATO’s collective deterrence and defense,” it added.

04/04/2023

61 1 minute read