Mar 11 2024

SWEDEN'S ACCESSION TO NATO COMMEMORATED WITH A FLAG RAISING CEREMONY AT JFC NAPLES

TODAY (11 March 2024), Sweden’s membership to NATO was formally commemorated at JFC Naples in a flag raising ceremony attended by military and civilian staff from all nations represented at JFC Naples.

Since 1994, Sweden has trained alongside NATO as a partner for peace We now stand together as allies.

Commander JFC Naples Admiral Stuart B Munsch hosted the Ceremony. He welcomed the Ambassador giving thanks to Sweden’s past commitment as a partner to NATO and expressed his pleasure for their accession as NATO’s 32nd member. “Since 1994, Sweden has trained alongside NATO as a partner for peace. After 30 years of close partnership. We now stand together as allies”. He continued, “As we take today to celebrate this accession of Sweden, we also celebrate 75 years of united defence of peace in the Euro Atlantic. We'll continue to build on our strong and lasting trust between nations that remain postured to deter, defend and adapt against any threat to our lasting peace. Today, Sweden, and the whole transatlantic alliance are safer, and today NATO is stronger”.

Admiral Stuart B Munsch, Commander JFC Naples and Ambassador for Sweden Mr Jan Björklund at the ceremony inside JFC Naples Headquarters.

Ambassador Björklund delivering his remarks at the flag raising ceremony.

Ambassador Jan Björklund expressed his gratitude “thank you to all your countries who are represented here for supporting Swedish membership in NATO” and, spoke on behalf of his nation on what this partnership means to Sweden and to NATO, “Sweden is a peaceful nation, but we are not pacifists. Sweden has always taken defence and security very seriously, we have become members because we want to increase our own security. But we also, of course, want to contribute to the security of all NATO nations and the whole western world.”

Sweden officially became NATO’s newest member on Thursday (7 March 2024), upon depositing its instrument of accession to the North Atlantic Treaty with the Government of the United States in Washington DC. With Sweden’s accession, NATO now counts 32 countries among its members.

The flag of Sweden was raised by Ambassador Björklund while the US Naval band played the Swedish National anthem.

The Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg who led the ceremony today at NATO HQ in Brussels said “Sweden has taken its rightful place at NATO’s table under the shield of Article 5 protection - the ultimate guarantee of our freedom and security. All for one and one for all”, also present at the ceremony in Brussels the Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson stated “With the Swedish flag being raised here today, we are clearly saying that we stand shoulder to shoulder in defending democracy and freedom together. We have come home, home to the alliance for peace and freedom to which so many democracies already belong, home to where we also belong”.