News: Secretary General: NATO, Finland and Sweden share the same security interests, 25-Oct-2021
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visited Finland with the North Atlantic Council Ambassadors on Monday (October 25, 2021), underlining the close partnership between NATO and Finland. To the media after his meeting with President Sauli Niinistö, Stoltenberg said that NATO and Finland work closely together on security in the Baltic Sea region and in the northern part of the country. “Together, we make the Euro-Atlantic region safer and more stable, including through NATO’s enhanced presence in the Baltic Sea region, our air policing mission and, of course, Finland’s commitment to its national defense,” he said.
In Helsinki, the Secretary-General will also meet with Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto to discuss strengthening NATO’s partnership with Finland. He will also visit the Jaeger Guard Regiment together with the Minister of Defense Antii Kaikkonen and the Commander of the Finnish Armed Forces, General Timo Kivinen.
In Stockholm later on Tuesday, the Secretary General will be received by HM King Carl XVI Gustaf. He will also meet with Prime Minister Stefan Lofven to discuss Sweden’s contribution to international security and its long-standing partnership with NATO. He will also meet Foreign Minister Ann Linde, Minister of Defense Peter Hultqvist and Minister of the Interior Mikael Damberg and visit HMS Carlskrona – the Swedish Navy’s largest ship.
NATO has deepened its cooperation with Sweden and Finland in recent years. At the NATO summit in June, Allied leaders welcomed NATO’s close security cooperation with Finland and Sweden, “which share our values and contribute to NATO-led operations and missions”. Allied leaders also promised to strengthen political dialogue and cooperation between NATO, Sweden and Finland “in support of our common security, including through crisis management preparations, exercises and exchange of information and analysis”, including in the Baltic Sea Region.