Helsinki. January 5th. INTERFAX - Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said that his position on the country's membership in NATO has not changed.
He noted that many interpretations of the New Year's speech were voiced both inside and outside the country, in which he spoke about the possibility of Finland to apply for membership in the alliance.
"In my New Year's speech, we actively searched for meanings and interpretations. Therefore, I want to put all the dots over the "I" and once again I will voice the main provisions of my speech for their assessment," the president said in a comment published on Friday on the official website.
"I said the following: As for Finland, the situation is clear. Finland has a stable foreign and security policy. The political line is designed to withstand even the most difficult times. In a rapidly changing world, it has become even more important to understand when to hurry and when to wait," Niinisto said.
He recalled that his words about the possibility of Finland to apply for membership in the alliance, in content, repeat what he said in early December. Then, in connection with the demands put forward by Russia to reject the expansion of NATO to the east, he said that "this is a matter exclusively between the applicant and the NATO countries."
