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Added on the 20/05/2022 16:41:19 - Copyright : France 24 EN
Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonson says the "northern flank of NATO is more complete" as he holds a press conference with his Norwegian and Finnish counterparts in Troms, Norway. Swedish troops are taking part in a vast NATO military exercise to simulate repelling an invasion of neighbouring Norway. SOUNDBITE
Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen hails a "big day for Finland" says as the Nordic nation becomes the 31st member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in a historic shift that drew an angry warning of "countermeasures" from the Kremlin. Moscow's all-out invasion of Ukraine last year upended Europe's security landscape and prompted Finland -- and its neighbour Sweden -- to drop decades of military non-alignment. IMAGES
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcome Turkey's decision to push ahead with ratifying Finland's membership, and says Sweden should also be allowed to join as soon as possible. "The most important thing is that both Finland and Sweden become full members of NATO quickly, not whether they join at exactly the same time," Stoltenberg said. SOUNDBITE
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg says "the time has come to ratify both Finland and Sweden and to make them full members of our alliance " during a press conference in Ankara with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. SOUNDBITE
"About the NATO membership, we have to take it calmly and we have to wait for the elections in Turkey to take place" says Finnish President Sauli Niinisto. The comment comes after the Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto announced Finland has to consider joining NATO without Sweden, whose bid appears to grind to a halt after Ankara blasted Stockholm over anti-Turkey protests. "Keep your watch on the ball but don’t be a ball yourself," adds Niinisto. SOUNDBITE
Poland's parliament votes to ratify Sweden and Finland's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as the US-led defence alliance reassesses its capabilities in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The votes for Sweden and Finland both pass, and lawmakers greet both votes with a standing ovation. IMAGES
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