The 30 member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) signed Tuesday in Brussels, the procedures for the accession of Finland and Sweden to the alliance, in a step toward the two countries' acquisition of membership.
.webp "L'OTAN signe les procédures d'adhésion de la Finlande et de la Suède")
The signing ceremony of the accession memorandum took place in the presence of Pekka Havistto, Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Anne Lindh, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden, the alliance announced in a statement.
Today, Tuesday, Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary-General of NATO, stressed that the alliance will "become stronger" and the citizens of member states "more secure" if Finland and Sweden join NATO.
"It's a great day for Finland and Sweden, as well as for NATO," Stoltenberg said. With 32 countries combined, we will be stronger and our people safer when we face the most serious security crisis in decades.”
He explained that the official signing of the accession document "means the beginning of the ratification process, and the door of NATO will remain open to qualified European democracies that are ready to contribute to our collective security."
The war in Ukraine prompted Finland and Sweden to abandon their traditional neutrality.