The President of the Republic Alexander Stubb attended the NATO Summit in Washington D.C., the United States, on 9–11 July 2024. This was the second NATO Summit Finland attended as a Member State.
The main topics covered at the Summit were reinforcing NATO’s deterrence and defence, support for Ukraine, developing a closer relationship between NATO and Ukraine, and cooperation with NATO’s partners. The Declaration issued at the Summit affirmed the Alliance’s support for Ukraine’s defence and the country’s path to Euro-Atlantic integration. The Declaration identifies Russia as the most significant threat to the Alliance and states that NATO will launch efforts to reassess its Russian policy.
“The Alliance has returned to its roots and is again investing in deterrence and defence. NATO is the world’s strongest military alliance, and it took steps in the right direction at the Summit,” President Stubb said.
“Finland’s handprint can be seen in the decisions made at the Summit. The new Member State has assumed a strong role within the Alliance,” the President said.
The Summit confirmed the plans to locate NATO functions in Finland, and the Declaration states that the accession of Finland and Sweden makes the Alliance stronger.
“The atmosphere at the meeting was serious but determined. The Alliance celebrated its 75th anniversary but it is looking firmly ahead. I feel strongly that Finland is in the right place, in a Western alliance whose values we share. At this Summit, I feel proud of our Finnish identity, Finland, and our foreign, security and defence policy,” President Stubb said.
On his trip, President Stubb also met Democratic and Republican members of the United States Senate together with the leaders of Sweden, Germany and the United Kingdom as well as NATO’s Secretary General. The President’s programme also included bilateral meetings with the President of South Korea, the Prime Ministers of Japan, Canada, Slovenia and New Zealand, and the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen and Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen were also part of President Stubb’s delegation at the Summit.
