NATO member countries will today sign the accession protocols necessary to invite Sweden and Finland to join the Atlantic alliance in a ceremony at the organization’s headquarters in Brussels.
Swedish Foreign Minister Anne Linde and her Finnish counterpart Pekka Haavisto are expected to attend the ceremony along with representatives of the 30-member Western military alliance.
The protocols allow NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to formally invite Sweden and Finland to join the alliance, although the ratification process may mean the two Nordic countries continue to wait.
NATO members must ratify invitation protocols. This procedure usually concerns national parliaments. This is expected to take another six to eight months before Sweden and Finland can join the organization.
These protocols could have been signed earlier. But Turkey agreed to lift its objections to the two Nordic countries’ bid to join the organization in a last-minute deal before the start of a NATO summit in Madrid last week.
Ankara has accused both countries of supporting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the People’s Protection Units (YPG), a Kurdish militia based in Syria. Turkey has designated both terrorist organizations. The two Nordic countries rejected the accusations.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO on 18 May. But Turkey has blocked their request for weeks, citing terrorism-related concerns. The accession of new members to the Atlantic Alliance requires unanimity.
The process was made possible after the three leaders agreed to cooperate on a range of counter-terrorism efforts, including extradition deals and commitments to end arms embargoes.
SOURCE: AMPE
Source: Capital
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
