Finland's former prime minister Sanna Marin, former foreign affairs minister Pekka Haavisto (Green) and foreign affairs counsellor Petri Hakkarainen have each received Sweden's Order of the Polar Star medals.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson presented the awards to Marin, Haavisto and Hakkarainen at an event at the Swedish Embassy in Helsinki on Tuesday.
It was announced last October that Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf had decided on a government recommendation to grant the awards to 10 foreign citizens.
"These distinctions are an expression of our immense gratitude for those individuals' efforts in conjunction with Sweden joining Nato. I would also like to extend a special thanks to Finland’s former President Sauli Niinistö, who is an earlier recipient of the Order of the Seraphim. Sweden's membership makes Nato stronger and Sweden more secure," Kristersson said in an October press release.
Though the two Nordic countries applied for Nato membership at the same time, Finland was first to join. However, Finnish leaders insisted throughout the application process that the countries should join in tandem.
Finland became a Nato member just over two years ago, while Sweden officially joined the alliance nearly a year later, in 2024.
"The individuals who are now receiving the Swedish Orders made significant efforts in support of Sweden’s accession to Nato," Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said in October.
Edited to accurately reflect Petri Hakkarainen's job title.
