An important week has begun for Finland. After the electoral vote that saw the change to the premiership, with Sanna Marin leaving the leadership of the country after the victory of the conservative party of the National Coalition (NCP), another "historic moment" opens for Finland at NATO that tomorrow will ratify the entry of the Northern Country into the Atlantic Alliance.
Finland will become the 31st allied country of the international organization born, after the Second World War, as an intergovernmental military system created to guarantee the security of the borders of 30 countries, 28 European and 2 American from the threat of third countries, which on the map, today as yesterday, are mainly in Asia.
"This is a historic week. Finland and its allies will be more secure and our alliance will be stronger." NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg anticipates to journalists the topics of tomorrow's and Wednesday's Foreign Ministerial meeting in Brussels. "We will have a flag-raising ceremony on the afternoon of April 4," which is "NATO's birthday," since the Washington Treaty, or North Atlantic Treaty, was signed on April 4, 1949.
"It is not Moscow that decides who joins" the Atlantic Alliance, "the door to NATO remains open. We will clearly demonstrate this tomorrow by raising the flag of Finland" at NATO headquarters, and also that of Sweden "we hope in the near future", he explained.
From tomorrow, Stoltenberg continues, Helsinki "will participate in all military meetings and facilities as a full member. All 30 allies have already ratified the accession protocol, only Turkey remains, the last ally to ratify it, which will deposit it tomorrow at NATO headquarters". "I will then notify Finland - he continues - they will deposit their respective accession documents and from that moment they will be members of the Alliance.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden have been calling for an acceleration of the accession process. "I believe that Sweden can also become a full member of the Alliance", Stockholm "has kept the commitments contained in the memorandum" signed with Finland and Turkey at the Madrid summit and for this reason "I believe that its membership must be ratified" also by Turkey, said the secretary general. For months, Turkey has hesitated to approve the entry of Finland and Sweden, accusing the Finnish government of supporting and welcoming members of some Kurdish organizations, in particular the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
"When there are differences, you have to sit down at the table, consult and move forward," he added, stressing that he "shares some of Turkey's legitimate security concerns," but "Sweden and Finland have agreed to work together on counter-terrorism" and "tougher laws."
Ap
Petteri Orpo of the conservative National Coalition Party (NCP) and Sanna Marin
On the table, of course, also the NATO-Ukraine issue, the commission will be attended by the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. "We don't know when the war will end but when it happens we will have to have agreements to make sure Russia doesn't invade it again. That is why I expect that tomorrow and after the ministers will begin the decision-making process regarding the long-term partnership with Ukraine that brings it closer to NATO," the secretary-general said for a pre-ministerial press conference.
Allies will also discuss threats and challenges in the South, including instability, terrorism and the growing influence of Iran, Russia and China. "I expect allies to create an ambitious new defense investment commitment with 2% of GDP for defense as a base, not a roof."