Finland has no plans at present to join NATO, its foreign minister Pekka Haavisto said on Friday, amid heightened security tensions between Finland’s giant neighbour Russia and Ukraine.

“Finland does not discuss with NATO joining it, nor does Finland have such a project upcoming … Finland’s security policy remains unchanged,” Haavisto told reporters at a teleconference following a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in France.

Finnish and Swedish interest towards a NATO membership became a topic of international debate this week as Russian and U.S. officials held security policy talks in Geneva.

Finland has cooperated with NATO since 1994 and joined its enhanced opportunities partnership in 2014.

Source: Azerbaijan State News Agency