Finnish President Alexander Stubb began a two-day state visit to Sweden on Tuesday with full pomp and ceremony.
Members of the Swedish royal family received the presidential couple at the Royal Palace on Tuesday morning.
Stubb then headed to the Riksdag (Parliament) to give a speech and hold a question-and-answer session with ministers and other MPs.
In his address, the president discussed the two countries' parallel routes to joining Nato, which began together in May 2022 and concluded last month when Sweden's membership bid was finally approved.
"Part of the closeness between our countries is due to our common understanding of security. We have always had an imperialist neighbour. And now I'm not referring to Norway," he quipped.
"Today, Sweden and Finland have more room to manoeuvre in foreign policy than ever before," said Stubb.
Stubb also spoke more broadly about international politics.
"The post-Cold War period has ended," he said. "The factors that were supposed to unite the entire world — free movement, trade, technology, energy, information and currency — are now tearing us apart. The methods of cooperation have been weaponised. History did not end. The rest of the world did not become like Sweden and Finland," he added.
According to Stubb, this means that Finland and Sweden sometimes have to cooperate with countries that do not share their values.
In the afternoon, Stubb is to meet with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
The visit's official agenda focuses on bilateral relations and business ties as well as support for Ukraine and preparations for the Nato summit in Washington in July.
Tuesday's programme also includes a business meeting as well as lunch and dinner at the Royal Palace.
Southern visit on Wednesday
The president is accompanied by his wife Suzanne Innes-Stubb, as well as Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen (NCP) and Education Minister Anna-Maja Henriksson (SPP).
On Wednesday, the presidential couple will visit Gothenburg in southern Sweden with the Swedish royal couple. In the morning, Stubb will make a speech at the University of Gothenburg.
On Wednesday afternoon, Stubb meets with officials from the province of Västergötland, visits the port of Gothenburg and the Swedish Coast Guard's Älvsborg garrison.
Stubb's first foreign visit after taking office on 1 March was a brief foray into northern Norway a week later to meet with Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Støre and observe a Nato exercise.
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