President to join NATO Summit in Vilnius

President Sauli Niinistö will participate in the NATO Summit scheduled to be held on July 11-12 in Vilnius, Lithuania, said the President Office in a press release on Friday.

The main themes of the Summit will be NATO's deterrence and defence, a new defence investment pledge, NATO’s support for Ukraine, the development of Ukraine's relationship with NATO and cooperation between NATO and its partners.

For Finland, it is important that Sweden becomes a member of NATO without delay.

In addition to the meetings of the Heads of State and Government of North Atlantic Council, there will a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council on July 12.

Niinistö will also have several bilateral meetings during the Summit.

The Summit delegation, led by the President, will include Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen and Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen.

On the occasion of the Summit, the North Atlantic Council will have informal meetings in Foreign Minister and Defence Minister sessions.

For Finland, the Vilnius Summit is the first as a NATO member country. When Finland was a partner country, the President led the Finnish delegation to NATO Summits in Madrid in June 2022, a virtual Summit in February 2022, and in Brussels in 2018, Warsaw in 2016, Wales in 2014 and Chicago in 2012.