Finland and Sweden submit application for NATO membership, Stoltenberg: Historic step

2022-05-18 09:14:33Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Finland and Sweden submit application for NATO membership, Stoltenberg: Historic
Submission of applications

Finland and Sweden today submitted their applications to join NATO. The news was announced by the Secretary General of the Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg.

"The applications you made today are a historic step. The Allies will now consider the next steps on your path to NATO, "Stoltenberg said after receiving applications from the Finnish and Swedish ambassadors at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

"The security interests of all allies must be taken into account and we are determined to work on all issues and reach quick conclusions."

Stoltenberg made the statements along with Klaus Korhonen, Finland's ambassador to NATO, and Axel Wernhoff, Sweden's ambassador to NATO.

Recall that the decision of the two Nordic states, which until recently had neutral, was prompted by security concerns with the start of the war in Ukraine.

The accession process is expected to take two weeks, while ratification in the parliaments of 30 member states takes up to a year. Despite the fact that the accession process is expected to take several weeks, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated that he will veto the membership of the two Nordic states.

If the Turks "change their minds" and start membership talks, then these two countries can become members within a few months. The process usually takes eight to 12 months, but NATO is expected to speed up the procedures, given the threat posed by Russia to these two countries.


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