2852) Finland Joins NATO, Estonia: Omniva (formerly EESTI Post) has issued a postage stamp of €2.60 (Euro) on the occasion of Finland becoming the 31st Member State of NATO: Date of Stamp issue: 02.06.2023:
About Finland Joining NATO - A brief:
The Republic of Finland became the 31st Member State of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) on 04.04.2023.
Finland has had formal relations with NATO since 1994, when it joined the Partnership for Peace program, and has been a member of the European Union (EU) – which largely overlaps with NATO in membership – since 1995.
Finland has historically maintained a position of neutrality in the face of its often complicated relations with Russia.
The possibility of membership became a topic of debate in the country after the end of the Cold War, and following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the country officially applied to join NATO on 18.05.2022.
On 05.07.2022, NATO signed the accession protocol for Finland to join the alliance.
By the end of September 2022, 28 of 30 NATO member states had ratified the accession protocol, the remaining two being Hungary and Turkey, who both ratify it by early April 2023.
Finland formally became a member of NATO on 04.04.2023 during a scheduled summit, finalising the fastest accession process in the treaty's history.
Finland has a 1,340 km (832 mi) border with Russia, which more than doubles NATO's border with Russia.
At the end of World War II, Finland had to cut its ties with Germany, with which it had allied against the Soviet Union in the Continuation War.
Following the war, foreign policy was guided by the Paasikivi–Kekkonen doctrine, which aimed to ensure Finland's survival as an independent sovereign, democratic, and capitalist state next to the Communist Soviet Union.
This was to be achieved by maintaining good enough relations with the Soviet Union to avoid war with its eastern neighbour.
The Finnish government refused foreign aid from the United States under the Marshall Plan due to Soviet pressure. Shortly afterward, the YYA Treaty was concluded between Finland and the Soviet Union.
The Cold War was marked by Finlandization, in which Finland retained its nominal independence on internal affairs, while its foreign policy was limited to avoid conflicts with the Soviet Union's foreign policy.
As a result, it took neutral stances to stay out of great power conflicts, and refrained from joining NATO, the European Communities, or other institutions which were established following the war by the Western democratic states, as well as the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact.
During the peak of the Cold War, the Finnish government made a conscious effort to increase defence capabilities to ensure a strong deterrent for any potential invasion.
From 1968 onward, the Finnish government adopted the doctrine of territorial defence, which requires the use of large land areas to delay and wear out a potential aggressor.
This was complemented by the concept of total defence, which calls for the use of all resources of society for national defence in times of crisis.
In addition, Finland has sent peacekeepers to Kosovo as part of the NATO-led Kosovo Force, although it was still not a member of NATO.
Before joining NATO, Finland participated in nearly all sub-areas of the Partnership for Peace programme, and provided peacekeeping forces to both the Afghanistan and Kosovo missions.
Omniva commemorates Finland for becoming the 31st Member of NATO:
Finland became the thirty-first member state of NATO on 04.04.2023, when Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto handed over Finland’s instrument of accession to NATO to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Brussels.
Finland’s accession to NATO is a historic event for its Northern neighbours, the Baltic Sea region, and NATO in general. It is also an important day for Estonia.
Estonia and Finland have always been close friends and now, they are NATO allies. This will strengthen their common security as well as the security of the whole Euro-Atlantic region. It will also strengthen bilateral defence cooperation between Estonia and Finland.
Interestingly, Finland has joined NATO on a symbolic day, 4 April, when NATO members also celebrate NATO Day each year. The North Atlantic Treaty, or Washington Treaty, establishing the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, was signed 74 years ago on this day.
The Stamp:
The Postage stamp of 2.60 Euro depicts the flag of NATO of a dark blue field charged with a white compass rose emblem, with four white lines radiating from four cardinal directions spread over the map of Finland symbolising NATO's protective umbrella/shield for the country.
The inscription at left vertically reads - "Soome astumine NATO sse" ("Finland's entry into NATO").
Technical details:
Stamp Issue Date: 02.06.2023
Designer: Jaan Saar
Printer: AS Vaba Maa
Process: Offset
Size: 26.50 mm x 32.00 mm
Stamp Value: €2.60
Rajan Trikha has commented:
ReplyDelete"Interesting informative post 👍"
Thank you Trikha sahab.
DeleteVimal Dikshit has commented:
ReplyDelete"Good information 👍👍"
Thank you, Vimal.
DeleteSantosh Khanna has commented:
ReplyDelete"Very nice informative and interesting post. Thanks for sharing."
Thank you so much, Khanna sahab.
DeleteRaj Kumar Srivastava has commented:
ReplyDelete"If FINLAND can join NATO, why can’t UKRAINE ?😳"
This has been agitating my mind too. But I think that then along with providing weapons/armament, NATO will have to send its soldiers as well for the defense of Ukraine, thereby escalating the war and perhaps leading to WW III, which none of the NATO countries are prepared for.
Delete