The Estonian head of state remarked that having Finland in the alliance would boost security in the Baltic Sea region. “The Finns are very capable allies and will lend NATO additional military strength,” he said. “It is very important that there will soon be a NATO member across the gulf from us, because among other things it means new opportunities for closer defence cooperation between Estonia and Finland. The better protected they are, the better protected we are. And vice versa: the broader the alliance becomes, the broader the security it offers.”
President Karis also stressed the need for a swift conclusion to Sweden’s accession process. “Our goal remains for there to be 32 member countries of NATO at the summit in Vilnius in July,” he explained. “Sweden is the last country needed to complete the picture of Baltic Sea security.”
