President to attend NATO Summit in U.S.

President Alexander Stubb will attend the NATO Summit in Washington D.C. scheduled to be held on 9–11 July 2024, said the President Office in a press release on Tuesday.

The key topics on the agenda will be to strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defence, to continue the strong support for Ukraine, to deepen the relationship between NATO and Ukraine and the cooperation with NATO’s partners.

Finland's goal is for the decisions taken at the Washington Summit to build a bridge to Ukraine’s NATO membership.

Finland considers it important that the summit strengthens NATO's partnerships with both the European Union and the Asia-Pacific countries. At this summit, NATO will also celebrate its 75th anniversary.

In addition to a meeting of the North Atlantic Council, which brings together the heads of state and government of NATO member countries, the summit programme will include a NATO-Ukraine Council meeting at heads of state and government level, a meeting with the EU-NATO Indo-Pacific partners Australia, South Korea, Japan and New Zealand, and the celebration of NATO’s 75th anniversary.

The Allied leaders will meet US President Joe Biden, at a dinner at the White House on July 10.

Stubb will also have several bilateral meetings during the summit. First Lady Suzanne Innes-Stubb, will participate in the spouse programme and the evening events of the summit.

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

The foreign ministers will meet NATO partners at a dinner hosted by Antony Blinken, United States Secretary of State.

The defence ministers will attend a dinner hosted by Lloyd Austin, United States Secretary of Defense. Minister for Foreign Affairs Valtonen and Minister of Defence Häkkänen will also have bilateral meetings.

For Finland, the Washington Summit will be the second as a NATO member country, following last summer’s summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, which Finland attended as the newest NATO member.