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http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/cs/Qfinland-nato.RvqR_CO8.html Finland's President says country open to NATO membership -Finland's armed forces have participated so far in three NATO-led operations, two in the former Yugoslavia and one Afghanistan. -But the majority of Finns -- two-thirds according to recent opinion polls -- are against the idea of abandoning their long-standing neutrality and joining NATO. LISBON, Oct 8 (AFP) - Finland is open to joining the military alliance, NATO, the country's president said in an interview published Tuesday in a Portuguese daily. "We have excellent relations with NATO, we participate in operations in times of crises," Tarja Halonen told Publico. "NATO has its doors open to us, maybe one day we will apply for membership." Finland's armed forces have participated so far in three NATO-led operations, two in the former Yugoslavia and one Afghanistan. In September, a senior Finnish military official said the country's armed forces were now compatible with those of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and ready to join the alliance if such a political decision were taken. But the majority of Finns -- two-thirds according to recent opinion polls -- are against the idea of abandoning their long-standing neutrality and joining NATO. Finland, which for decades lived under Moscow's shadow, joined the European Union in 1995 and later became a member of the euro zone. Some Finns have now been pushing for NATO membership, arguing the country would then be represented in all forums that decide on Europe's future. But with parliamentary elections scheduled for March of next year, the government is not expected to broach the NATO question any time soon. Portuguese president Jorge Sampaio began a four-day official visit to Finland on Tuesday, becoming the first Portuguese head of state to make an official visit to the nordic country. __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Faith Hill - Exclusive Performances, Videos & More http://faith.yahoo.com --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
