Finland to Decide on NATO Membership Application on the 12th

Sauli Niinist?, President of Finland [Photo by AFP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Finland is expected to make a decision to apply for membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on the 12th (local time), according to major foreign media citing the Finnish daily Iltalehti on the 2nd.

According to Iltalehti, on the 12th, Finnish President Sauli Niinist? will approve NATO membership, followed by parliamentary approval, after which Finland is expected to formally apply for NATO membership. Iltalehti reported that after announcements by the president and parliament, the NATO membership application will be finalized through a meeting between the president and key government officials.

According to the Finnish constitution, the president leads decisions on major foreign and security policies in cooperation with the government.

Finland has maintained a neutral stance under its policy of military non-alignment and has not joined NATO, only maintaining a cooperative relationship with the alliance. However, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, public opinion has grown in favor of joining NATO for security reasons.

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