Remarks by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb at a moderated discussion hosted by the Atlantic Council of Finland, 6 June 2024.

🗣 | NATO Secretary General:

Let me start by saying that it is a great pleasure to be here and as I said this is my first visit to Helsinki after Finland became a full-fledged member. I've been here many times but this is for me an important, almost historic, visit because it's great to be in Finland and then be visiting a NATO Ally. Alex mentioned earlier today that we met many years ago when he was Foreign Minister and I was Prime Minister of Norway. And at that time, I think none of us were able to imagine the possibility of Finland being a full member of the Alliance just not so many years later. And therefore, it's also rare to share this moment with him and to see so closely how Finland now is really not only a member of the Alliance, but a very capable, highly valued NATO Ally with the high skilled well trained, well equipped forces, the high readiness. We were briefed earlier today by the military authorities in Finland and it was extremely impressive to learn more about actually all the help that Finland is providing to this Alliance. NATO is making Finland safer but also NATO stronger and thank you so much for doing that.

Then, on the integration, I think it's important to remember--first of all I agree with Alex that things are moving well, but it's important to remember that we didn't start on zeros. It was not like Finland was just a random country out there suddenly becoming a NATO Ally. The reality is that Finland was a very close partner. So we did a lot together even before you joined the Alliance. Exercises, we worked together as close partners, Finland participated in NATO missions and operations; I met Finish troops in Afghanistan, in Iraq, and elsewhere also before you became a NATO member. So we started on a similar footing and then we are moving from there and integrating the good and successful way Finland into all NATO structures.

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