Finland Officially Joins NATO

Finland officially joined NATO in a ceremony on Tuesday, April 4, becoming the alliance’s 31st member.

Finnish Foreign Affairs Minister Pekka Haavisto joined NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to formally hand over the accession documents at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

In a statement, Finland’s president, Sauli Niinisto, said NATO membership “strengthens our international position and room for maneuver” and “provides security for Finland.”

Finland submitted its application to join NATO alongside Sweden in May of 2022, months after neighbor Russia invaded Ukraine, ending decades of non-alliance.

Stoltenberg said the Finnish flag would soon be raised outside NATO headquarters. Credit: Oana Lungescu via Storyful

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JENS STOLTENBERG: Secretary Blinken, Mr. Haavisto, it's a pleasure to welcome you both here today because this is an historic day. Soon we will be welcoming Finland as the 31st member of our alliance. And we will raise the Finnish flag outside this building. But before we do that, however, there are some formalities that we have to ensure are done in the right and proper way. So, Secretary Blinken, please have the floor.

ANTONY BLINKEN: Well, Secretary General, Mr. Minister, I'm delighted to report that just a few moments ago, Turkey deposited with me, on behalf of the United States, Turkey's ratification of the instrument of acceding to the protocol for Finland's accession to NATO. And with the receipt and submission of that protocol, I can say that the protocol is now in force.

JENS STOLTENBERG: Thank you so much. This is great news, Secretary Blinken. And with that, I can actually then hand over to you, Minister Haavisto, the formal invitation on behalf of all allies for the Republic of Finland to accede to the North Atlantic Treaty. So please--

PEKKA HAAVISTO: Thank you.

JENS STOLTENBERG: And then at the same time, I also invite you to deposit your documents of accession to the US government, here presented by Secretary Blinken.

PEKKA HAAVISTO: Thank you, Mr. Secretary General. Thank you, Secretary Blinken. Now when I've got this invitation, it's my great pleasure to deposit with the Secretary of State of the United States of America Finland's instrument of accession to the North Atlantic Treaty, please, Secretary Blinken.

ANTONY BLINKEN: Thank you very much. Well, with receipt of this instrument of accession, we can now declare that Finland is the 31st member of the North Atlantic Treaty.

JENS STOLTENBERG: Congratulations.

[APPLAUSE]

ANTONY BLINKEN: Welcome.

PEKKA HAAVISTO: And since we are now a member of NATO, we have a very important task. And the task is actually to give to you for the deposit also our ratification for Swedish membership. This is our first act as a member state please.

ANTONY BLINKEN: Thank you, Pekka. I'm delighted to-- delighted to receive this on behalf of Finland.

PEKKA HAAVISTO: Thank you.

ANTONY BLINKEN: Thank you very much.

PEKKA HAAVISTO: Thank you.

JENS STOLTENBERG: Thank you.

PEKKA HAAVISTO: Thank you. Thank you.

JENS STOLTENBERG: And then we welcome Finland to the alliance. And we also appreciate that you have agreed also to invite Sweden. So this ends this moment. And then we will continue outside the building in just a moment. So thank you so much.

ANTONY BLINKEN: Thank you.

PEKKA HAAVISTO: Thank you.