Description
Added on the 17/07/2019 21:37:24 - Copyright : AFPTV - First images
Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, Ellen M. Lord, confirms that Turkey will no longer be permitted to join in NATO's F-35 fighter program after it purchased a Russian missile defense system. SOUNDBITE
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says Turkey should approve Sweden's stalled bid for membership "as soon as possible". "Sweden has delivered on what they promised and now the time has come for Turkiye to finalise the accession process," Stoltenberg tells a press conference in Brussels. Turkey and Hungary are the only NATO members to not yet have ratified Sweden joining the alliance over 18 months after it applied for membership. SOUNDBITE
The United States welcomes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's submission to parliament of Sweden's NATO membership and hopes for approval as soon as possible. "We welcome that step," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller tells reporters, voicing hope that the bill "will be considered in the Turkish parliament and passed as soon as possible." SOUNDBITE
French President Emmanuel Macron meets Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the first day of the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. Images show the two presidents shaking hands and posing for photos at the end of their meeting. NATO leaders grapple with Ukraine's membership ambitions, their determination to face down Russia boosted by a breakthrough in Sweden's bid to join the alliance. IMAGES
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson lands in Vilnius ahead of a landmark NATO summit at which he is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regarding Stockholm's accession to the US-led defence alliance. Earlier in the day, Erdogan said he would only back Sweden's NATO candidacy if the European Union resumes long-stalled membership talks with Ankara. IMAGES