Stoltenberg said NATO’s updated strategic notions are likely to call Russia the “most important and direct threat” to security.
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Washington — — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stortenberg said Tuesday that the world’s most powerful military alliance had reached an agreement to recognize Sweden and Finland after resolving Turkey’s holdout concerns.
Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö signed a memorandum of understanding at this week’s summit in Madrid to confirm that Turkey supports NATO’s bids in Sweden and Finland. Said in a statement..
“Our Joint Memorandum emphasizes Finland, Sweden and Turkey’s commitment to expand their full support for each other’s security threats,” said a Finnish leader.
“We will be an ally of NATO, which will further strengthen this commitment,” he added.
The push to add Sweden and Finland to NATO looks like this: Russian attack on Ukraine Arouse fear of other countries in the region. Moscow, which has long been wary of NATO expansion, opposes the plans of both countries to join the alliance.
Earlier, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would not approve the application, citing support for Kurdish organizations that Turkey considers a security threat.
All 30 NATO member countries must approve their bids in order to be accepted by the alliance.
Last week, Stoltenberg told reporters that he was working to add Finland and Sweden to NATO “as soon as possible”. He said it “makes them safer, NATO stronger, and the Euro Atlantic region safer.”
“We are currently actively working on the next steps in both the Finnish and Swedish accession processes, and addressing Turkey’s security concerns, including the war on terrorism,” he said. Stortemberg said in a discussion hosted by Politico.
US President Joe Biden will speak next to Sweden’s Prime Minister Magdalena Anderson and Finnish President Saulininist on May 19, 2022 at the White House Rose Garden in Washington, DC.
Evelyn Hoxtine | Reuters
Both Finland and Sweden have already met many of the requirements for becoming a NATO member. Some of the requirements include a functioning democratic political system, a willingness to provide economic transparency, and the ability to make military contributions to NATO’s mission.
In May, the two countries began a formal process of applying to the NATO alliance.
After the two countries submitted their bids, Niinistö and President Joe Biden, who is adjacent to Sweden’s Prime Minister Magdalena Anderson, said they would “make NATO stronger.” He called their move to join the agreement a “victory of democracy.”
Biden has pledged to work with Congress, which must ratify the US approval of NATO’s bid, and work with 29 other members to quickly add Sweden and Finland to the group.
“There is no doubt that NATO is relevant, effective and more needed than ever.” Biden said after meeting with Finnish and Swedish leaders at the White House on May 19...
