Finland and Sweden sign an agreement to join NATO but need to be ratified
NATO’s 30 allies signed an accession protocol for Finland and Sweden on Tuesday, giving them the opportunity to join the nuclear alliance once parliaments have ratified the decision, the most significant enlargement of the alliance since the 1990s. The signing at NATO headquarters follows an agreement with Turkey at last week’s NATO summit in Madrid, where Ankara lifted its veto on the Nordic membership offer after assurances that both countries would do more to fight terrorism.
“This is truly a historic moment,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg with the two countries’ foreign ministers. “With 32 nations around the table, we will be even stronger.” The protocol means that Helsinki and Stockholm can participate in NATO meetings and have greater access to intelligence, but will not be protected by NATO’s defense clause – that an attack on an ally is an attack on everyone – until ratification. It will probably take up to a year.
It was at an allied summit in Madrid in 1997 that Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic were invited to join, in the first of several waves of NATO’s eastward expansion – seen as a feat for the West but which has provoked Russia. Moscow has repeatedly warned both countries to join NATO. On March 12, the Russian Foreign Ministry said “it will have serious military and political consequences”.
Stoltenberg called on the Allies to quickly ratify and assure the two Nordic countries of NATO support in the meantime. “Security in Finland and Sweden is important for our alliance, even during the ratification process,” he said.
“Many allies have already made clear commitments for the security of Finland and Sweden, and NATO has increased our presence in the region, including with more exercises.” TURKISH WARNING
NATO ambassadors and Stoltenberg together posed for a photo in which the Swedish and Finnish foreign ministers held up their signed protocols, before breaking out in applause. “Thank you for your support! Now begins the process of ratification of each of the allies,” said Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde on Twitter.
However, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan warned on Thursday at the NATO summit that Finland and Sweden must first keep promises made to Turkey in an agreement, otherwise ratification will not be sent to the Turkish parliament. After weeks of diplomacy, Erdogan and his Finnish and Swedish counterparts agreed on measures to enable the two Nordic countries to overcome a Turkish veto that Ankara introduced in May due to its concerns about terrorism.
According to a signed memorandum, Finland and Sweden promised not to support the Kurdish militant PKK and YPG groups or the network of the US-based priest Fethullah Gulen, which Ankara labels as a terrorist organization.
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