The winner of Finland's recent presidential election, Alexander Stubb, declared on Friday that Nato accession meant Finland's foreign and security policy is shifting as he takes office.
He made the comments after he was sworn in as the country's thirteenth head of state in a series of ceremonies at parliament.
"We are standing on the threshold of a new era. [Joining] Nato meant that we took a final step into the community of Western values that our Republic has considered itself part of throughout Finland's independence," he said.
Stubb added that the current situation was similar to other challenging periods in the country's history.
The transition of power took place during ceremonies that saw outgoing president Sauli Niinistö step down and then Stubb's inauguration at Parliament House, just after noon.
Niinistö made an address to MPs and others gathered in the plenary chamber before Stubb was officially sworn in.
The outgoing president said that Finland had entered a new era — adding that everything, and nothing, has changed.
He said that the country's expectations for the future are not exclusively positive, but there is increasingly hope of avoiding the worst that could happen. However, he said that people's deep inner feelings have not changed.
Stubb then pledged to serve as president, and to "fairly and faithfully" follow the constitution and the laws of the Republic, promoting the welfare of the Finnish people to the best of his ability.
Then, after shaking hands with Niinistö, Stubb officially became Finland's 13th president and made his first speech as the country's head of state.
In his remarks, Stubb said that even though the world feels chaotic at the moment, there is no need to despair.
Stubb also highlighted Finland's defence and its membership in Nato.
He also noted that public debate in Finland had become "very belligerent", because the discussions surround topics like wars being fought in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
"However, warlike rhetoric should not obscure the fact that we Finns are a peace-loving nation," he said, adding that his role as president is to ensure peace is maintained "under all circumstances".
When waving to the crowds after the ceremonies, protesters shouted slogans and held up a banner demanding a ceasefire in Israel's war in Gaza.
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