European Leaders Congratulate Finland on Becoming 31st Member of NATO

(MENAFN) European countries have congratulated Finland on officially becoming the 31st member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) at a ceremony held at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels. Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz congratulated Finland on joining NATO, stating that its membership will make the alliance stronger. Scholz's government also reaffirmed its support for Sweden's membership bid. Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly welcomed Finland's accession and hoped to see Sweden join NATO quickly.

French President Emmanuel macron congratulated Finland on joining NATO and expressed his hope that Sweden will also become a member soon. Similarly, Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra welcomed Finland's accession and looked forward to welcoming Sweden soon as well. The Italian delegation to NATO also welcomed Finland's membership, confirming NATO's crucial role in maintaining freedom and security.

The accession of Finland to NATO has been described as a historic day by several European leaders, including German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu stated that the Baltic Sea is becoming a NATO sea and expressed his desire to see Ukraine join the alliance one day. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares hoped for Sweden to become a NATO member soon, adding that the accessions of Finland and Sweden would contribute to the consolidation of a more secure Euro-Atlantic area.

The decision of Finland to abandon its decades-long military non-alignment and apply for NATO membership was made after the Russia-Ukraine war began in February last year. With Finland's accession, the length of NATO's border with Russia has nearly doubled. The congratulations from European leaders reflect the growing importance of defense cooperation and investment in the face of external threats.

The accession of Finland to NATO will strengthen collective defense and cooperation in today's complex security environment, according to Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib. Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic described the day as historic and expressed hope for Sweden to join NATO as well. Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu congratulated Finland and expressed his desire to work together for the defense of NATO's eastern flank.

The accession of Finland to NATO marks the alliance's 74th anniversary and confirms NATO's crucial role in maintaining freedom and security.

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