Finland Officially Confirms Joining NATO
Helsinki, May 15: Finland president Sauli Niinisto on Sunday confirmed that his country will formally apply for membership of the NATO military alliance.
Niinisto told reporters in the presidential palace in Helsinki: Today, we, the president and the government’s foreign policy committee, have together decided that Finland will apply for NATO membership, reports The Guardian.
The Finnish president said he had a conversation with Russian president Vladimir Putin yesterday, informing him about the country’s plan to join the military alliance. The Russian leader said it would be a mistake for Finland to join NATO.
Speaking alongside Niinisto, Finland prime minister Sanna Marin said she hopes the Finnish Parliament will confirm the decision to apply to join the alliance in the next few days.
“In Finland we still have the parliamentary process ahead of us but I trust that the parliament will debate this historic decision with determination and responsibility,” she said.
Regarding the announcement, Finland’s foreign ministry tweeted saying NATO membership offers Finland the most security” in light of its own security environment having “changed fundamentally”.
Finland’s minister for foreign affairs, Pekka Haavisto, is quoted as saying: By joining Nato, Finland will strengthen its own security and that of all Europe. We are making this historic decision for future generations.
