The Finnish Parliament will host the NATO Parliamentary Assembly's annual session in Helsinki in November 2027, according to a Finnish Parliament press release. This is the largest parliamentary meeting ever held in Finland, the same source reports. The session underscores Finland's deepening integration into NATO structures following its accession last year, with Sweden joining the alliance in March, according to multiple reports.
Finland's NATO membership followed widespread public support, as a BGIPU delegation visiting Helsinki in September 2022 heard about widespread backing across the Finnish population, multiple reports indicate. Sweden's parliament automatically became a member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly upon the country's NATO accession on March 7, 2024, according to multiple reports. This expansion reflects a shifting security landscape in Northern Europe.
Before the major 2027 session, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly's leadership will visit Rovaniemi and Helsinki on April 12–14, according to major media. The leadership will familiarize themselves with the operations of the Jääkäriprikaati and Lapin lennosto, major media reports. They will also meet in Helsinki with Parliament Speaker Jussi Halla-aho, Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen, Defense Committee Chairman Heikki Autto, and the Finnish NATO delegation, according to major media.
From the Finnish Parliament, Tomi Immonen, Mikko Savola, and Jukka Kopra will participate in the event, major media states. Mikko Savola serves as vice-chairman in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly's leadership, according to major media. The Riksdag, Sweden's parliament, became an associated member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in 2003, multiple reports indicate.
The NATO Parliamentary Assembly's principal objective is to foster mutual understanding among Alliance parliamentarians of key security challenges facing the transatlantic partnership, according to NATO. It is independent of NATO but provides a link between NATO and the parliaments of its member countries. Most of its work is carried out by its five committees: the Committee on Democracy and Security; the Defence and Security Committee; the Economics and Security Committee; the Political Committee; and the Science and Technology Committee, according to research from two sources.
I would encourage them [Russia] to do whatever the hell they want.
The NATO Parliamentary Assembly includes delegates from 10 associate countries, four Mediterranean associate countries, and observers from eight other countries, research from two sources indicates. The European Parliament is entitled to send 10 delegates to NATO Parliamentary Assembly Sessions, according to research from two sources. The assembly's 67th Annual Session took place in Lisbon, Portugal from October 8 to 11, 2021, research from three sources reports.
Regional security tensions have intensified, with President Putin launching his full-scale invasion two years ago, wanting less NATO and more control over his neighbours, multiple reports indicate. On September 9, 2025, Russia 'accidentally' launched nearly two dozen drones into eastern Poland, according to a Belfer Center report. S.
President Donald Trump has at times signaled a positive view of Russian President Vladimir Putin's leadership and has repeatedly questioned the value of defending Europe, research from 12 sources shows. Ukraine is closer to NATO membership than ever before, multiple reports indicate. Sweden spends more than 2 percent of GDP on defence, according to research from two sources.
Swedish troops are taking part in Steadfast Defender, NATO's biggest military exercise since the Cold War, research from two sources indicates. Swedes between the ages of 16 and 70 may be called on to help with the country's national defense in the event of war, multiple reports show. Five million households in Sweden are set to receive a booklet titled 'If Crisis or War Comes' over the next two weeks, according to multiple reports.
The state of the world has worsened drastically in recent years, with war being waged in Sweden's vicinity, according to the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB). The agency also stated that an armed attack against Sweden cannot be ruled out. This is the fifth version of the brochure sent out to the Swedish public, with previous ones in 1943, 1952, 1961 and 2018, multiple reports indicate.
NATO is a defense alliance 'so strong that it deters others from attacking us.'
In Sweden, there is a total defence obligation, meaning most people have an obligation to contribute in the event of danger of war or war, according to multiple reports. In Finland, officials published new guidance on coping with events ranging from extreme weather and long power and water outages to military conflict, multiple reports indicate. Finland will seek to amend its Nuclear Energy Act and Criminal Code to lift a blanket ban on the import and domestic handling of nuclear devices, according to the Finnish Defense Ministry.
Finland has participated in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly's activities since 1998, according to major media. The NATO Parliamentary Assembly holds two annual sessions a year to address key issues on the Euro-Atlantic defense and security agenda, research from three sources reports. This long-standing involvement highlights Finland's gradual alignment with NATO prior to full membership.
Before the leadership visit to Finland, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly's Standing Committee will meet in Riga, Latvia, major media reports. From the Finnish Parliament, Tomi Immonen, Mikko Savola, and Jukka Kopra will participate in the event, as noted earlier. These preparatory steps aim to ensure smooth coordination for the 2027 session.
The specific agenda or key topics to be discussed at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly's annual session in Helsinki in November 2027 have not been disclosed. The exact date in November 2027 when the session will be held remains unspecified, and the full list of countries and delegates expected to attend is not yet known. Security measures or preparations for the event are still in planning stages, and potential economic or diplomatic impacts of hosting the session in Finland are unclear.
A discrepancy exists regarding the number of delegates in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly: some sources state it is made up of 274 delegates from the 32 NATO member countries, while others report that sessions bring together 281 members from NATO countries. This variation could affect understanding of the assembly's scale and representation.