Today is a historic moment for Finland, and NATO, as the Nordic country became the 31st member of the North Atlantic Alliance.

G.G. of NATO, Jens Stoltenbergdelivered to the president of Finland, Sauli Niistothe record of the country’s admission to the North Atlantic Alliance.

Finland’s flag is raised along with the other allied flags at NATO headquarters in Brussels, during a ceremony attended by President Sauli Niinisto, on the sidelines of the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting.

“From today they will wave 31 flags in NATO – as a symbol of our unity and solidarity”, said G. Stoltenberg, during a joint press conference with the president of Finland, shortly before the flag raising ceremony.

“Finland’s accession to NATO is good for the country itself, for the security of the Nordic countries and for NATO as a whole,” said Stoltenberg, who added: “I am deeply proud to welcome Finland as a full member of our Alliance and I look forward to welcoming Sweden as soon as possible. In times like these friends and allies are more important than ever, and Finland now has the strongest friends and allies in the world.”

G. Stoltenberg noted that Russian President Putin he wanted the doors of NATO closed to new members, “but today we proved to the world that it has failed, that aggression and intimidation do not work. Instead of less NATO it has achieved the exact opposite, more NATO and our door remains wide open.”

For his part, the President of Finland, Niisto emphasized that today is a very important day for Finland and for NATO. “Security and stability are the most important elements for people’s happiness”, he emphasized and wished shortly Sweden to become the 32nd member of the Alliance.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken greeted her delivery from Turkey of the ratified protocol of Finland’s accession to NATO, which now enters into force.