Finland on Tuesday joined NATO in a historic shift triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
According to Aljazeera, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto completed the accession process by handing over an official document to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday.
The United States Department of State is the repository of NATO texts concerning membership.
Jens Stoltenberg – head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization the world’s largest military alliance – hailed “a good day for Finland’s security, for Nordic securind for NATO as a whole”.
Finland applied for NATO membership a year ago in May, alongside Sweden, as fears of Russian aggression rose in northern Europe following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
But Sweden is still waiting to join the group, which is now comprised of 31 members.
Finland’s border with Russia stretches across 1,340km (833 miles).
With Finland handing over accession documents, Finnish membership doubled the alliance’s border with Russia and represents a major change in Europe’s security landscape.
The country adopted neutrality after its defeat by the Soviets in World War II.
