Finland: NATO membership would ramp up security in Baltic Sea region
"Should Finland decide to apply, the accession of Finland would strengthen the security and stability of the Baltic Sea region and northern Europe," Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said in a statement on Thursday while addressing EU lawmakers via videolink.
- World
- Reuters
- Published Date: 11:22 | 12 May 2022
- Modified Date: 12:48 | 12 May 2022
Finland's accession to NATO would strengthen security in the Baltic Sea region, Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told EU lawmakers on Thursday, referring to a region seen as NATO's weakest flank.
"Should Finland decide to apply, the accession of Finland would strengthen the security and stability of the Baltic Sea region and northern Europe," Haavisto said, addressing EU lawmakers via videolink.
"We are convinced that Finland would bring added value to NATO. Our war time strength of the defence forces is 280,000 troops, and the trained reserve is 900,000 men and women," he added.
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