Niinistö, Stoltenberg discuss possible NATO bid over phone

President Sauli Niinistö on Thursday held a telephone conversation with the Secretary General of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation), Jens Stoltenberg and discussed Finland´s possible NATO membership application.

Stoltenberg reiterated his strong support to the possible membership application, Niinistö wrote in a twitter post after the conversation.

“We reviewed the situation in the NATO issue. Secretary General Stoltenberg again expressed his strong support to Finland membership application. We also agreed to meet soon,” the President wrote in his witter in Finnish.

The NATO Secretary General also appreciated Finland's contribution to Euro-Atlantic security during the conversation.

“Good call with Finland's President Sauli Niinisto. He updated me on the deliberations in Finland on potential NATO membership. Allies highly appreciate our very close partnership & Finland's contribution to Euro-Atlantic security,” Stoltenberg wrote in his twitter after the conversation.

News agency Xinhua adds: The applications by Finland and Sweden to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will be processed quickly should the Scandinavian countries choose to do so, the alliance's Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, said on Thursday.

"If they decide to apply, Finland and Sweden will be welcomed with open arms to NATO. Finland and Sweden are our closest partners," Stoltenberg told reporters at the European Parliament in Brussels.

Both Finland and Sweden have long pursued a policy of military non-alignment. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, NATO has failed to win over the two countries several times.

But the two countries have made some changes in their positions following Russia´s attack on Ukraine, delivering weapons and ammunition to Ukraine.

"We know that their armed forces meet NATO standards, are interoperable with NATO forces. We train together, we exercise together and we have also worked together with Finland and Sweden in many different missions and operations," Stoltenberg said.

He also addressed the security of Finland and Sweden during the interim period between the two countries' potential applications and the date they become actual members of the organization, saying that "we will be able to find arrangements" so that "no uncertainty" is left.

Earlier, on March 28, Niinistö held a telephone conversation with Stoltenberg and discussed Russia’s attack on Ukraine.