Northern Europe Finland's Prime Minister Marin will visit Japan for the first time on the 10th, and will hold a summit meeting with Prime Minister Kishida on the 11th.


In response to the situation in Ukraine, Finland is considering joining NATO = North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and it is expected that the leaders will exchange opinions on how to deal with Russia.

Finland's Prime Minister Marin will visit Japan for the first time on the 10th, and during his three-day stay, he will hold a summit meeting with Prime Minister Kishida and interact with Japanese business people and university students.



Finland borders Russia for about 1,300 kilometers, but due to consideration for relations with Russia, Finland did not join NATO even during the Cold War and has taken a military neutral position.



However, the situation in Ukraine has heightened the sense of crisis about Russia's threat in the country, and local media and others have reported that they are expected to formally announce their intention to join NATO in the near future along with Sweden in the same Scandinavian country.



Russia has strongly opposed this, and recently Russian military aircraft have invaded Finland's territory, and there are concerns that some military measures will be taken before Finland becomes a NATO member.



Through this visit, Prime Minister Marin would like to exchange opinions with Prime Minister Kishida of Japan, who is also a neighboring country of Russia, on future measures for Russia and support for Ukraine.

76% agree to join NATO Finnish poll

According to the latest poll released by the Finnish public broadcaster on the 9th, 76% of people are in favor of joining NATO.



The approval for membership exceeded half for the first time in the survey conducted in February before and after the invasion, then increased by 9 points in March last time, and increased by 14 points this time, clearly increasing the sense of caution toward Russia. It is appearing.



On the other hand, only 12% oppose membership.



Local media have said that President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Marin have each expressed their support for accession this week.