Exceptional meeting discusses Finland’s NATO bid process

The President and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy on Sunday discussed the progress of Finland’s NATO membership process on the basis of the tripartite meeting held in Brussels on March 9, said a government press release late Sunday night.

In addition, the Committee was briefed on the discussions held by the President on his visit to the United States from March 6 to March 10.

The meeting was held exceptionally on a Sunday due to a busy work schedule on the following week, the press release added.

The trilateral meeting between Finland, Sweden and Turkey held on March 9 in Brussels failed to find out any significant progress regarding ratification of NATO accession protocols for Finland and Sweden.

President Sauli Niinistö on March 9 met his United States counterpart Joseph R. Biden at White House in Washington and discussed various issues including Russia´s invasion of Ukraine and Finland. Sweden´s NATO membership process.

Meeting with Biden was not in the schedule of Niinistö´s visit to USA but it took place suddenly following an initiative taken by White House.