Finland and Sweden will both apply for official membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a welcome development for a leading member of the Finnish community in Thunder Bay.
The Finnish Parliament is expected to endorse the decision in the coming days, which will be followed by the formal application being submitted to NATO headquarters in Brussels.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has indicated that Canada will immediately support the move.
“Most Fins in Thunder Bay support the decision made in Finland by politicians,” said Arno Peura, who owned the Scandinavian Delicatessen on Bay Street in Thunder Bay. “Their decision is based on big support from the population of Finland citizens.”
Peura, who is also a former manager of the Finlandia Club and the Hoito, told Acadia News Monday that over 170 of the 200 members that sit on parliament support the move to join NATO.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that there could be a negative impact on Finland relations if it applies for NATO membership.
