Finland has officially announced its plans to become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. To do this, the countryʼs parliament must vote in favor of applying for membership.
The decision was publicly supported by the Finlandʼs President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin.
In a joint statement, they note that the country has been discussing NATO membership since March.
"It took time for the parliament and the whole society to define their position on this issue. Time was needed for close international contacts with NATO and Allies, as well as with Sweden. We wanted to give the discussion the necessary space," they said.
Now, after lengthy discussions, the president and prime minister have jointly stated that they support Finlandʼs accession to NATO. Therefore, they call for an immediate application for membership, which must be voted on by parliament. According to politicians, Finlandʼs membership in NATO will strengthen the countryʼs security.