Canada ratifies Sweden’s and Finland’s bid for NATO membership
TORONTO:
Canada has become the first country to ratify Sweden’s and Finland’s offer of membership in NATO, the country’s prime minister announced, when the member states signed accession protocols for the Nordic countries on Tuesday.
“Canada has full confidence in Finland’s and Sweden’s ability to quickly and effectively integrate into NATO and contribute to the Alliance’s collective defense,” Justin Trudeau said in a statement.
“Their membership will make NATO stronger and we urge all NATO members to act swiftly to complete their ratification processes in order to limit the opportunities for adversity,” he added.
Representatives from NATO’s 30 member states signed accession protocols for Finland and Sweden, after formally inviting them to the military alliance at the historic summit in Madrid last week.
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The accession protocols must be ratified by the parliaments of all members. Canada’s lower house debated and voted on a motion signaling their support on June 1 and 2, respectively, before the summer break closes.
In May, Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Security and National Security adopted a motion expressing “strong support” for the Scandinavian countries’ NATO membership and urging all members to approve their applications “as soon as possible”.
“Canada is enthusiastic about Finland and Sweden joining NATO. This morning we were the first to formally ratify their accession to the alliance. We are stronger together,” Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie tweeted on Tuesday.