Reuters reported that the military alliance will welcome Finland as the thirty-first member in a flag-raising ceremony at NATO headquarters in the suburbs of Brussels in the presence of Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and government ministers.
The event marks the end of an era of military non-alignment for Finland that began after the country fended off an invasion attempt by the Soviet Union during World War II.
Sweden underwent a similar shift in defense thinking and Stockholm and Helsinki applied together last year to join NATO, but Sweden’s request was held off by NATO members Turkey and Hungary.
After these two countries approved Finland’s request last week, the final official step of the Helsinki trip will come when Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto hands over his country’s accession document to US government officials in Brussels.
The flag of Finland will then be flown outside NATO headquarters along with the flags of the other 30 member states of the alliance before a meeting of NATO foreign ministers.
NAA