Balkans | Finland will be one of the fastest joining NATO countries

Finland’s membership process, approved by all Allies to join NATO as the 31st member, is one of the fastest-growing membership processes in the alliance’s 74-year history.

Finland has been contributing to many of NATO’s missions since the Cold War and has cooperated with NATO on many issues as a “partner country” since 1994, but it didn’t announce its intention to join NATO until last year.

The Finnish government has changed the principle of neutrality, which the country has followed for years, on the grounds that the security structure in Europe has changed after Russia’s attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

Finland and its neighbor Sweden, which has a 1,340-kilometer border with Russia, formally applied for NATO membership on May 18, 2022, to enter NATO’s security umbrella. The ambassadors of the two Scandinavian countries handed over the request letter to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Then, at the NATO Summit held in Madrid, the capital of Spain, on June 28-30, 2022, the two countries were formally invited to join their membership. On July 5, NATO countries signed the accession protocol, and Swedish and Finnish officials began to attend NATO meetings as “invited countries”.

Prior to the summit in Madrid, Turkey had expressed some security concerns, particularly due to the activities of terrorist organizations such as the PKK/YPG and the FETO organization in Sweden. As a matter of fact, the tripartite memorandum was signed during the summit on increasing the fight against terrorism between Turkey, Sweden and Finland. Sweden and Finland committed themselves to further cooperation in the fight against terrorism with this text.

After that, many meetings were held between the three countries. Turkish officials stated that Sweden’s steps in this regard were satisfactory but insufficient. As for Finland, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the approval process will start on March 17, 2023.

Meanwhile, immediately after the Madrid summit held in June 2022, most NATO countries have started the process of approving the membership of the two countries. 20 NATO countries completed the ratification process in their parliaments in July, 4 in August, and 4 in September.

Finally, on March 27, 2023, the Hungarian parliament approved Finland’s membership. Approval was received in the Turkish Grand National Assembly on March 30. Thus, Finland’s NATO membership process will be completed in less than a year.

Security guarantee for Finland

Having ratified 30 NATO allies, Finland receives security guarantees in accordance with Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, which states that “an attack on one Member shall be deemed an attack on all Members.”

After applying for Sweden’s membership, Finland received security guarantees from NATO countries such as the USA and the UK. However, with the ratification of full NATO membership, Finland came under NATO’s security umbrella for the first time with such a guarantee.

What will happen next?

In order for a country to be accepted into NATO, all allies must agree to accession protocols. Finally, this condition was met with the approval of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

Although Finland has been approved by 30 NATO countries, some special procedures are still required for the official admission of the 31st member.

Countries that have completed their ratification processes are required to notify the United States, which has maintained the Washington Agreement, that they have accepted the protocols providing for the accession of the new member. In this case, after the approval of Hungary, Turkey will have to send letters of acceptance notice to the USA.

The letters will enter the archives of the US State Department and the US State Department will notify NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that Finland’s conditions for membership have been met. After that, a letter of invitation for full membership will be sent to Finland with the signature of the NATO Secretary General.

On the other hand, Finland will send its own acceptance document signed by the Secretary of State authorized by the President to the United States.

After Finland’s acceptance document for membership reaches the US State Department, this country will officially become the thirty-first member of NATO and the Finnish flag will be flown next to the flags of other allied countries at NATO headquarters.

The Finnish government has changed the principle of neutrality, which the country has followed for years, on the grounds that the security structure in Europe has changed after Russia’s attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

Finland and its neighbor Sweden, which has a 1,340-kilometer border with Russia, formally applied for NATO membership on May 18, 2022, to enter NATO’s security umbrella. The ambassadors of the two Scandinavian countries handed over the request letter to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Then, at the NATO Summit held in Madrid, the capital of Spain, on June 28-30, 2022, the two countries were formally invited to join their membership. On July 5, NATO countries signed the accession protocol, and Swedish and Finnish officials began to attend NATO meetings as “invited countries”.

Prior to the summit in Madrid, Turkey had expressed some security concerns, particularly due to the activities of terrorist organizations such as the PKK/YPG and the FETO organization in Sweden. As a matter of fact, the tripartite memorandum was signed during the summit on increasing the fight against terrorism between Turkey, Sweden and Finland. Sweden and Finland committed themselves to further cooperation in the fight against terrorism with this text.

After that, many meetings were held between the three countries. Turkish officials stated that Sweden’s steps in this regard were satisfactory but insufficient. As for Finland, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the approval process will start on March 17, 2023.

Meanwhile, immediately after the Madrid summit held in June 2022, most NATO countries have started the process of approving the membership of the two countries. 20 NATO countries completed the ratification process in their parliaments in July, 4 in August, and 4 in September.

Finally, on March 27, 2023, the Hungarian parliament approved Finland’s membership. Approval was received in the Turkish Grand National Assembly on March 30. Thus, Finland’s NATO membership process will be completed in less than a year.

Security guarantee for Finland

Having ratified 30 NATO allies, Finland receives security guarantees in accordance with Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, which states that “an attack on one Member shall be deemed an attack on all Members.”

After applying for Sweden’s membership, Finland received security guarantees from NATO countries such as the USA and the UK. However, with the ratification of full NATO membership, Finland came under NATO’s security umbrella for the first time with such a guarantee.

What will happen next?

In order for a country to be accepted into NATO, all allies must agree to accession protocols. Finally, this condition was met with the approval of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

Although Finland has been approved by 30 NATO countries, some special procedures are still required for the official admission of the 31st member.

Countries that have completed their ratification processes are required to notify the United States, which has maintained the Washington Agreement, that they have accepted the protocols providing for the accession of the new member. In this case, after the approval of Hungary, Turkey will have to send letters of acceptance notice to the USA.

The letters will enter the archives of the US State Department and the US State Department will notify NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg that Finland’s conditions for membership have been met. After that, a letter of invitation for full membership will be sent to Finland with the signature of the NATO Secretary General.

On the other hand, Finland will send its own acceptance document signed by the Secretary of State authorized by the President to the United States.

After Finland’s acceptance document for membership reaches the US State Department, this country will officially become the thirty-first member of NATO and the Finnish flag will be flown next to the flags of other allied countries at NATO headquarters.