HELSINKI: US President Joe Biden is paying a visit to new NATO member Finland on his way back to the states from the alliance’s summit in Lithuania, reported German news agency (dpa).
Finnish President Sauli Niinistö will receive Biden at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki on Thursday at midday for a bilateral meeting.
Afterwards, a mini-summit with the heads of government of the other Nordic countries – Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Iceland – is planned.
The main topic is closer cooperation between the Nordic countries and the US in the fields of security, environmental protection and technology. Biden’s day in the Finnish capital is to be rounded off in the evening with a joint press conference with Niinistö.
Finland has been an official NATO member since the beginning of April. Neighbouring Sweden will join the defence alliance soon after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan decided this week to stop blocking its accession.
Finland borders Russia along a length of about 1,340 km and thus has by far the largest frontier of all EU countries.
NATO’s external border with Russia has more than doubled as a result of Finland’s accession. At its closest point, this border is only about two hours’ drive from Helsinki – but Biden will not be visiting it during his trip. -Bernama