Editing Foreign relations of Finland (section)

==Multilateral relations== 
Finnish foreign policy emphasises its participation in multilateral organisations. Finland joined the United Nations in 1955 and the European Union in 1995. As noted, the country also is a member of [[NATO]]'s [[Partnership for Peace]] as well as an observer in the [[Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council]]. The military has been prepared to be more compatible with NATO, as co-operation with NATO in peacekeeping is needed, but military alliance does not have popular support. Political scientist [[Teija Tiilikainen]] has attributed tensions like this one to the importance that Finland's political identity places on sovereignty and the (sometimes competing) stress it places on international cooperation.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Teija |last=Tiilikainen |author-link=Teija Tiilikainen |title=Finland — An EU Member with a Small State Identity |journal=Journal of European Integration |volume=28 |issue=1 |pages=73–87 |date=26 January 2007 |doi=10.1080/07036330500480599|s2cid=154513560 }}</ref>

In the European Union, Finland is a member of the [[Eurozone]], and in addition, the [[Schengen treaty]] abolishing passport controls. 60% of foreign trade is to the EU. Other large trade partners are Russia and the United States.

Finland is well represented in the [[UN civil service]] in proportion to its population and belongs to several of its specialised and related agencies. Finnish troops have participated in [[United Nations peacekeeping]] activities since 1956, and the Finns continue to be one of the largest per capita contributors of peacekeepers in the world. Finland is an active participant in the [[Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe]] (OSCE) and in early 1995 assumed the co-chairmanship of the OSCE's [[Minsk Group]] on the [[Nagorno-Karabakh Republic|Nagorno-Karabakh]] conflict.

Cooperation with the other Scandinavian countries also is important to Finland, and it has been a member of the [[Nordic Council]] since 1955. Under the council's auspices, the Nordic countries have created a common labor market and have abolished immigration controls among themselves. The council also serves to coordinate social and cultural policies of the participating countries and has promoted increased cooperation in many fields.

In addition to the organisations already mentioned, Finland is a member of the [[International Bank for Reconstruction and Development]], the [[International Monetary Fund]], the [[World Trade Organization]], the [[International Finance Corporation]], the [[International Development Association]], the [[Bank for International Settlements]], the [[Asian Development Bank]], the [[Inter-American Development Bank]], the [[Council of Europe]], and the [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]].

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Finland has moved steadily towards integration into Western institutions and abandoned its formal policy of neutrality, which has been recast as a policy of military nonalliance coupled with the maintenance of a credible, independent defence. Finland's 1994 decision to buy 64 [[F-18 Hornet]] fighter planes from the United States signalled the abandonment of the country's policy of balanced arms purchases from Communist countries and Western countries.

In 1994, Finland joined NATO's Partnership for Peace; the country is also an observer in the North Atlantic Cooperation Council. Finland became a full member of the EU in January 1995, at the same time acquiring observer status in the EU's defence arm, the [[Western European Union]].

In 2003, [[Anneli Jäätteenmäki]] of the Centre Party won the elections after she had accused her rival [[Paavo Lipponen]], who was prime minister at the time, of allying neutral Finland with the United States in the [[Iraq War|war in Iraq]] during a meeting with President [[George W. Bush]], and thus associated Finland with what many Finns considered an [[Crimes against peace|illegal]] [[war of aggression]]. Lipponen denied the claims and declared that "We support the UN and the UN Secretary-General." Jäätteenmäki resigned as prime minister after 63 days in office amid accusations that she had lied about the leak of the documents about the meeting between Bush and Lipponen. This series of events was considered scandalous and it is named [[Iraq leak]] or Iraq-gate.<ref>{{cite news |title=Former Finnish premier is cleared over Iraq papers leak |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/former-finnish-premier-is-cleared-over-iraq-papers-leak-566960.html |work=The Independent |date=20 March 2004}}</ref>

Generally, Finland has abided by the principle of neutrality and has good relations with nearly all countries, as evidenced by the freedom of travel that a [[Finnish passport]] gives; though relations with Russia remain strained and are often tense due to past historical grievances, including Russian threats and past invasion.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Vinayaraj |first1=V.K. |title=Finland's Self-Defence Strategies |journal=International Studies |date=2011 |volume=48 |issue=3–4 |pages=257–280|doi=10.1177/0020881713485019 |s2cid=220703384 }}</ref>

After almost 30 years of close partnership with NATO, Finland joined the Alliance on 4 April 2023. Finland's partnership with NATO was historically based on its policy of military non-alignment, which changed following [[Russian invasion of Ukraine|Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine]] in February 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Finland's membership in NATO |url=https://um.fi/finlands-membership-in-nato |website=Ministry for Foreign Affairs}}</ref> On 1 March 2024, [[Alexander Stubb]], a staunch supporter of NATO, was sworn in as Finland's new president.<ref>{{cite web |title=Finland's New President Alexander Stubb Says the Nordic Country Enters 'A New Era' as a NATO Member |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2024-03-01/finlands-new-president-alexander-stubb-says-the-nordic-country-enters-a-new-era-as-a-nato-member |website=usnews.com |access-date=5 March 2024}}</ref>  On 7 March 2024, Stubb made his first foreign trip as Finland's new president to Nato's [[Nordic Response]] military exercise in northern Norway.<ref>{{cite news |title=Stubb: Nato exercises are a message to Russia |url=https://yle.fi/a/74-20078006 |work=News |date=7 March 2024 |language=en}}</ref>