Coveney to visit Finland, Sweden after nations apply for NATO membership:

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Simon Coveney is visiting Helsinki and Stockholm today.

The war in Ukraine will be top of the agenda when he holds meetings with Finland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto and Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen, as well as Sweden’s Foreign Minister Ann Linde.

Last month, the two nations applied for NATO membership amid security concerns following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.