BRUSSELS – Finland officially became the 31st member of the the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Tuesday, marking a major shift in the security landscape in northeastern Europe that adds some 1,300 kilometres (830 miles) to the alliance’s frontier with Russia, according to CNN.
The Nordic nation’s accession was sealed during a formal ceremony at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday.
On the eve of Tuesday’s ceremony, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg heralded the raising of the Finnish flag for the first time at the alliance’s headquarters in Belgium, saying “it will be a good day for Finland’s security, for Nordic security, and for NATO as a whole.”
