NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday expressed confidence that Finland and Sweden would join the organization despite Turkey’s “legitimate fears”, describing the upcoming Madrid summit as “crucial”.
“The Madrid Summit was never seen as the last chance to conclude the ratification of the accession of Finland and Sweden,” Stoltenberg said during a joint news conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö during a visit to the country.
Turkey’s fears about joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) “must be taken seriously” and the way to overcome them is to “sit down and talk”, insisted the official, questioned about the possible blockade by Ankara, which accuses the Nordic countries of hosting members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The Madrid Summit, scheduled for June 29 and 30, should serve to “advance” the accession of these countries, but it is not “the last date,” said the official, asked about the possibilities of opting for an accelerated process. in favoring the security of the aspiring countries and strengthening the Alliance.
“I firmly believe that its membership will be in the security interest of NATO as a whole,” Stoltenberg argued, repeating the term “legitimate” to describe Turkey’s concerns.
In another act, the Finnish president highlighted his “surprise” at Ankara’s attitude, explaining that until a few months ago he had always noted a “favorable attitude” from Turkey towards its accession.
Stoltenberg’s working visit to Helsinki will be followed on Monday by the secretary-general’s meeting in Stockholm with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, whose country formalized NATO membership in parallel with Finland.
Both Nordic states, members of the EU but not of the Atlantic Alliance, reversed their traditional line of military non-alignment following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, sparking a shift in public opinion away from neutrality.
Source: Observadora
