Sweden is expected to receive full approval tomorrow to become a member of the most powerful military alliance in the world, NATO.
The news was given by the general secretary of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, this evening as he said that Turkey will not be an obstacle.
According to Stoltenberg, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that he supports Sweden's membership in NATO.
"I am pleased to announce that after the meeting I hosted Erdogan and the Swedish Prime Minister, President Erdogan has agreed to forward Sweden's acceptance protocol to the Great National Assembly as soon as possible and ensure ratification. This is a historic step that makes all NATO allies stronger and safer", announced Stoltenberg as he distributed a photo of himself and the two leaders, Swedish and Turkish.
Glad to announce that after the meeting I hosted with @RTErdogan & @SwedishPM , President Erdogan has agreed to forward #Sweden 's accession protocol to the Grand National Assembly ASAP & ensure ratification. This is an historic step which makes all #NATO Allies stronger & safer. pic.twitter.com/D7OeR5Vgba
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) July 10, 2023
Earlier today, Erdogan said that EU leaders should pave the way for Turkey's membership in the region, before supporting Sweden in NATO.
The two-day NATO summit will start tomorrow in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Finland and Sweden announced their intentions to apply for NATO membership in May 2022, reversing a historic policy of non-alignment in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.