NATO chief says it is "time to fully welcome Finland and Sweden as members"
Recent negotiations held in Istanbul between the NATO Secretary General and the President of Türkiye give a chance for a quick completion of the accession process of Finland and Sweden to NATO and the ratification of the accession protocols in the Turkish Parliament.
According to the "Ukrinform" media, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said this in Helsinki during his speech at the SAMAK Northern Summit (Co-operation Committee of the Nordic Social Democratic parties and trade union– ed.),
"I recently discussed with President Erdoğan. We are making progress. I clarified that Finland and Sweden have fulfilled their obligations under the trilateral memorandum agreed upon with Türkiye at the Madrid NATO summit in June. The time has come to complete the ratification process. I am glad that President Erdogan has agreed to renew these discussions. I will convene the next meeting at NATO headquarters next week," Stoltenberg said.
He recalled that the accession process of Finland and Sweden was the fastest in the entire history of the Alliance: both countries applied for NATO accession only in May, and already in June, during the Madrid summit, they received an official invitation to join from all 30 allied countries. 28 of them have already ratified the accession protocols of both countries.
"Completing the accession process of Finland and Sweden is a priority for NATO. I also expect that the Parliament of Hungary will soon complete the ratification," NATO Secretary General emphasized.
He noted that in the process of joining NATO, Finland, and Sweden have already strengthened their security, participate in the discussion of the most important decisions, and are integrated into the military and political structures of the Alliance. NATO has increased its presence in this region, conducting regular exercises with the troops of both invited couSeveralumber of allied countries have given security guarantees to Finland and Sweden, so the Alliance will actively act if these invited countries feel threatened for their own security.
"NATO is a large North Atlantic family that currently includes 30 and soon will be 32 countries. We account for half of the world's military and economic power. We adhere to the principle of one for all, all for one. I hope to welcome both countries to NATO as soon as possible," Stoltenberg added.
For reference:
Since the beginning of the full-scale russia's war against Ukraine, NATO and its allied countries have provided substantial assistance to Ukraine in supplying modern weapons and training Ukrainian troops to use them. Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Ramstein format, organized under the auspices of the United States, has already united 54 democratic states of the world, including NATO allies, which coordinately provide Ukraine with weapons and military equipment to implement its right to self-defense in accordance with the UN Charter.
NATO consistently confirms the validity of the "open door" policy. Still, it is possible to continue considering Ukraine's membership in the Alliance after the end of russian aggression, when, with the help of allies, Ukraine can maintain itself as a democratic, independent, and sovereign European state.
