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The Republic of Finland becomes a full-fledged member of NATO

04 April 2023 News

Today, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of NATO member states welcomed the Republic of Finland as the 31st full-fledged member of the Alliance.

The accession of Finland will significantly contribute to security in the Euro-Atlantic area. The country's membership in NATO will send a clear political message about the relevance and strength of the Alliance and validity of the NATO Open Door policy that Bulgaria consistently supports. It will also open up additional opportunities for enhanced bilateral defense cooperation.

We also expect to see the Kingdom of Sweden as a full-fledged member of the Alliance as soon as possible. The accession of both countries to NATO will be a significant step towards the establishment of lasting security and prosperity in Europe.

The Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden submitted their applications to join NATO on 18 May 2022. The Protocols of Accession of the two countries to the Alliance were signed on 5 July 2022 in Brussels. On 13 July 2022, the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria ratified the protocols for the accession of the Republic of Finland and the Kingdom of Sweden to the North Atlantic Treaty.

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