Niinistö, Stoltenberg discuss further steps for Finland´s NATO joining

President Sauli Niinistö on Friday held a telephone conversation with the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Jens Stoltenberg and discussed the further course of actions for completion of NATO joining process for Finland, said the President Office in a release.

“NATO Secretary General @jensstoltenberg called. We discussed the next steps forward, now that all 30 allies have ratified Finland's NATO membership,” Niinistö wrote in a twitter post after the conversation over phone.

Stoltenberg said that he was looking forward to raising Finland´s flag at the NATO headquarter.

“I congratulated President @niinisto on the completion of the historic ratification of Finland’s accession. I look forward to raising Finland’s flag at NATO HQ in the coming days. Together we are stronger & safer,” the NATO secretary General wrote in his twitter after the conversation.

Meanwhile, Stoltenberg in a statement welcomed the vote by the Turkish Grand National Assembly to ratify Finland’s membership in NATO, said NATO in a press release on Friday.

“All 30 NATO Allies have now ratified the accession protocol. And I have just spoken with President Sauli Niinistö to congratulate him on this historic occasion. Finland will formally join our Alliance in the coming days. Their membership will make Finland safer and NATO stronger,” said Stoltenberg, adding that Finland has highly capable forces, advanced capabilities and strong democratic institutions.

“So Finland will bring a lot to our Alliance,” he said.

“All Allies made a historic decision last year to invite Finland and Sweden to join our Alliance. Since then, we have seen the fastest ratification process in NATO’s modern history,” said the NATO Secretary General in the statement.

He said all allies agree that a rapid conclusion of the ratification process for Sweden will be in everyone’s interest.

“I look forward to also welcoming Sweden as a full member of the NATO family as soon as possible,” he added.

The Turkish parliament ratified the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) membership protocol for Finland late Thursday night paving way for Finland to become a member of the defence alliance.

With Turkey´s ratification, the NATO membership protocol for Finland has been ratified by all the 30 members of the alliance and now there is no obstacle for Finland on its way to become a full-fledged NATO member.