Finland will end up being the 31 st member of the world’s greatest security alliance, NATO, tomorrow.
Secretary basic Jens Stoltenberg verified the Nordic nation’s subscription in an interview in Brussels today.
‘We will raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at NATO headquarters,’ he informed press reporters collected in NATO’s head office.
‘It will be a good day for Finland’ s security, for Nordic security and for NATO as a whole. Sweden will likewise be much safer as an outcome.’
A flag-raising ceremony to add the Finnish flag to those of the other members will take place at the headquarters tomorrow afternoon.
Russia’s war in Ukraine pushed Finland and Sweden to apply to join NATO, and as such abandon decades of military non-alignment.
On Friday, Turkey’s parliament voted to ratify Helsinki’s membership bid, but kept Stockholm’s application on hold.
The anticipated voted removed the last major hurdle to the nation’s accession.
Finland has a 810-mile border with Russia and would roughly double the alliance’s frontier.
The Kremlin previously said the move was ‘definitely’ a threat which would be met with ‘retaliatory steps’.
What is a historic announcement for the country almost overshadows its change of prime ministers.
Voters gave a boost to conservative parties in the weekend election, depriving left-wing Sanna Marin of another term.
Despite gaining huge popularity during the Covid pandemic, she was defeated by conservative leader Petteri Orpo.
‘We got the biggest mandate,’ said the leader of the National Coalition Party, after a dramatic night in which the result gradually swung his way.
Mr Orpo secured 20.8% of the vote, ahead of the right-wing populist Finns Party and the centre left. Meanwhile, the populists won a record 20.1%.
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