The Swedish national flag was raised at NATO headquarters on Monday.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristerson, Sweden’s Princess Victoria and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg watched as two soldiers raised a blue flag emblazoned with a yellow cross at the military alliance’s headquarters in Brussels.
The flag-raising ceremony came as 20,000 troops from 13 countries began NATO exercises in the far north of new member Sweden, as well as its neighbors Finland and Norway.
“We are humble, but we are also proud. We know the expectations from Sweden are high, but we also have high expectations for ourselves. We will share the burdens, responsibilities and risks with our allies,” Kristerson said a few minutes before the ceremony.
Sweden applied for NATO membership on May 18, 2022.
Sweden brings well-trained and equipped armed forces.
