BRUSSELS – Finland will become a full-fledged member of Nato on Tuesday and its flag will be raised at the alliance’s headquarters, Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said today.
Speaking to reporters ahead of a two-day meeting of Nato foreign ministers, Stoltenberg said the bloc was looking forward to a “historic week” and stated that Finland will be a “full-fledged member of the alliance as of tomorrow.”
He further said that the alliance would “raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at Nato headquarters” at an official ceremony, reported Anadolu.
Nato foreign ministers will first meet Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba at a reunion of the Nato-Ukraine Commission, Stoltenberg said.
After the war in Ukraine, Nato must “put in place arrangements so that Ukraine can deter future aggression and history does not repeat itself,” he added.
Nato foreign ministers will also start preparations for a leaders’ summit in July in Vilnius, Lithuania.
“I expect allies to agree on an ambitious new defence investment pledge with 2% of gross domestic product for defence as a floor, and not a ceiling,” Stoltenberg said.
He stressed Nato must address the challenges of “instability, terrorism, and the growing influence of Iran, Russia, and China.”
On the meet’s second day, Nato foreign ministers will meet their counterparts from Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. – Bernama, April 3, 2023
