NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visited Finland from 5 to 6 June 2024. The visit was hosted by President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb.
President Stubb and Secretary General Stoltenberg met on Wednesday 5 June at the President’s official residence in Munkkiniemi. The topics discussed included security and defence policy issues, the situation in Ukraine and the forthcoming NATO summit in Washington in July. After the discussions, President Stubb hosted a dinner attended by by Secretary General Stoltenberg.
On Thursday 6 June, President Stubb and Secretary General Stoltenberg visited the Defence Command, where they met, among others, General Janne Jaakkola, Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces.
“We see ourselves very much as a security provider, not a security consumer. We want to be a very reliable ally”, President Stubb said at a joint press conference at the Presidential Palace. “We will do our part in the defence of the alliance based on a 360 approach. So, we’re not only looking to the east, we also look to the west, south, and north.”
President Stubb pointed out that as a new member state, Finland has a lot to learn, but during the first year of NATO membership things have gone well in terms of planning, operations, command structure, and training.
President Stubb thanked Secretary General Stoltenberg for his role in Finland’s NATO membership process. According to him, it meant a lot to Finland as a nation that the Secretary General was a Nordic who understood what Finnish defence and capabilities are all about.
The programme at the Presidential Palace also included a working lunch with Secretary General Stoltenberg, Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen, Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen and Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces, General Jaakkola hosted by President Stubb.
After the lunch, there was a discussion on “The Alliance 75 Years and Finland One Year in the Alliance”. The discussion, organised by the Atlantic Council of Finland, took place at the Presidential Palace.
President Stubb last met Secretary General Stoltenberg in Brussels in April 2024.
