Helsinki, 3 April 2023
On 4 April, Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will deposit Finland’s instrument of accession to the North Atlantic Treaty. Minister Haavisto will deposit the instrument of accession in Brussels with the Government of the United States. Finland will become a NATO member country at the moment of the deposit. Minister Haavisto will also represent Finland at the meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs starting on the same day.
After Finland has become a member of NATO, Minister Haavisto will deposit Finland’s instrument of accession for Sweden’s NATO membership. After the deposit, NATO Headquarters and NATO’s military headquarters will honour Finland’s membership by raising the Finnish flag. Finland’s representatives attending the flag-raising ceremony are President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö, Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto and Minister of Defence Antti Kaikkonen.
NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs will meet in Brussels on 4–5 April 2023. The meeting will begin after the flag-raising ceremony.
“This will be the first meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs which Finland attends as a member of the Alliance. It is a historic moment for us. For Finland, the most important objective at the meeting will be to emphasise NATO’s support to Ukraine as Russia continues its illegal aggression. We seek to promote stability and security throughout the Euro-Atlantic region,” says Haavisto.
NATO’s support to Ukraine will be one of the key topics on the foreign ministers’ agenda. The meeting is an important step in the preparations for NATO’s Vilnius Summit in July. The meeting will be chaired by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
NATO’s Indo-Pacific partner countries Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea have been invited to attend the last working session, which will also be attended by High Representative of the European Union Josep Borrell.
Minister Haavisto will also have bilateral meetings in Brussels.
Source – Finnish Government
Finland to join NATO as Allied Foreign Ministers meet
Brussels, 3 April 2023
Finland will become the 31st member of NATO on Tuesday (4 April 2023), immediately preceding a two-day meeting of Allied Foreign Ministers. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Finland’s imminent accession, saying: “It will be a good day for Finland’s security, for Nordic security and for NATO as a whole.”
At their meeting, Allies will address Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine, and are expected to agree to start work on developing a multi-year programme of support. They will also discuss threats and challenges from the South, the importance of increased defence investment, and China’s growing alignment with Russia. NATO’s Indo-Pacific partners and the European Union will also join for a discussion on the global consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Source – NATO