Sweden and Finland reaffirm their commitment to joining NATO together
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and his Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin this Thursday reiterated their commitment to continue the NATO accession process together despite the fact that Turkey is maintaining its veto on Stockholm. Ankara has in recent days reiterated its refusal to allow Sweden to join the alliance after a pro-Kurdish group in Stockholm symbolically executed a doll representing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Koran was burned by a far right has also sparked protests in several Muslim countries. “We are embarking on this ship together and will start the journey together,” said Kristersson at a joint press conference in the Swedish capital.
Similar words were used by Marin, who dismissed doubts raised a week ago by Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, who admitted for the first time that Helsinki could reconsider this position if Turkey maintained the veto on Sweden. “I think it is important that we send a clear message: It is in everyone’s interest that we join NATO together. The two countries meet all accession conditions,” Marin said.
Both presidents unanimously pointed out that they signed a memorandum with Turkey at the NATO summit in Madrid last June and achieved results in all agreed areas. Kristersson has highlighted that his government submitted a proposal to the Legislative Council on Thursday to strengthen Sweden’s anti-terrorism law, which could come into force in four months, to criminalize those who provide money or other support to terrorist organizations. “We must remain calm and return to the dialogue table because it was very fruitful, Turkey has confirmed this. We need to get back to a reasonable discussion between us,” said Kristersson, who “sympathized” with Finland’s “frustration”.
Marin has expressed dissatisfaction with the “atmosphere” created in which Sweden acts as a kind of “troublemaker” and stressed that, like Finland, it has fulfilled the terms agreed with Turkey. “It is also a question of NATO’s credibility to end this situation as soon as possible,” said the Finnish Prime Minister.
Kristersson and Marin also agreed to express their hope that both Hungary, which has pledged to do so in the coming weeks, and Turkey will have agreed to both countries’ accession ahead of the next NATO summit in Vilnius.
Russian military intervention in Ukraine prompted Sweden and Finland to end their military non-alignment in 2022 and apply for NATO membership, which was approved at the Alliance’s last summit in Madrid in June. Both countries’ accession is still subject to the approval of Turkey, which lifted its veto at the last minute in exchange for certain conditions enshrined in an agreement while the parties continue negotiations.
Hungary has not yet ratified the accession of the two Nordic countries either, but is expected to do so soon. Any entry into NATO must be approved by each of its members. Ankara is urging drastic action against Kurdish groups it describes as “terrorists,” particularly Sweden, which has a large ethnic Kurdish community, and is demanding the extradition of residents of that country who support their cause. (Efe)