UPDATE - Finland to become full member of NATO on Tuesday

UPDATES WITH DETAILS ON SWEDEN’S MEMBERSHIP BID, MINOR EDITS

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) - Finland will become a full-fledged member of NATO on Tuesday and its flag will be raised at the alliance’s headquarters, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the 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 NATO would “raise the Finnish flag for the first time here at NATO headquarters” at an official ceremony.

Asked about Sweden’s membership bid which was submitted at the same time as Finland, Stoltenberg said that “the time has come to ratify” the country’s accession protocol and “to finalize the accession process.”

He acknowledged that Türkiye has “legitimate security concerns and all allies should address them because those matter for us.”

“When Finland, Sweden and Türkiye work together in fighting terrorism that helps Türkiye in their fight against, for instance, PKK,” he explained.

He said that Sweden implemented “stronger legislation” on terrorism, which will also have an impact on the fight against “organized crime, drug traffic” which is related to terrorist groups.

Stoltenberg said that the representatives from Türkiye and Sweden will meet again at NATO headquarters to address their differences.

NATO foreign ministers will meet Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba at a reunion of the NATO-Ukraine Commission on Tuesday, Stoltenberg said.

After the war, 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 the leaders’ summit in July in Vilnius, Lithuania.

“I expect allies to agree on ambitious new defense investment pledge with 2% of GDP for defense 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 second day, NATO foreign ministers will meet their counterparts from Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.