The Secretary General of NATO hailed “a historic moment, at a critical moment for our security”.
Finland and Sweden submitted their applications for NATO membership on Wednesday May 18 and consultations were underway between the Allies to lift Turkey’s opposition to the integration of the two Nordic countries into the Alliance.
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“This is a historic moment at a critical time for our securitysaid NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who received the membership applications presented by the ambassadors of two countries. “We hope to conclude quicklythe process, he added. Consultations were underway on Wednesday within the Atlantic Council to try to overcome Turkey’s opposition to the launch of the accession process, we learned from a diplomatic source.
“Everything is possible”
Ankara can slow it down by refusing to open discussions within the Atlantic Council, the first stage of the procedure. Turkey can then block by refusing to sign the accession protocols and finally refuse to ratify the accession. The unanimity of the 30 members of the Alliance is imperative for membership. “Everything is possible“, confided a European diplomat. “But at NATO we always find solutions“, he added. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may want to bring the subject to the NATO summit organized in Madrid on June 29 and 30.
“Ankara”won’t give in“, he assured Monday. Ankara accuses Sweden of beingthe nursery of terrorist organizationslike the Kurdish PKK and criticizes the two Nordic countries for not approving requests for the extradition of people accused of being terrorists and of having frozen arms exports to Turkey. Turkey blocked earlier this week a NATO statement favorable to the accessions of the two countries, we learned from a diplomatic source.
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The Turkish blockade deprives Finland and Sweden of the protection provided by NATO to all its members in the event of aggression. “The security interests of all allies must be taken into account and we are determined to examine all issues and reach conclusions quickly.“, assured Wednesday Jens Stoltenberg to the two ambassadors.
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