Sweden, Finland complete NATO membership talks

By Selen Temizer

BRUSSELS (AA) - Finland and Sweden completed accession talks at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on Monday.

NATO said in a statement that the talks were conducted between NATO officials and representatives from the two countries, adding the Finnish delegation was led by Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto and Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen while the Swedish delegation was led by Foreign Minister Ann Linde.

“Both countries formally confirmed their willingness and ability to meet the political, legal and military obligations and commitments of NATO membership,” the statement added.

The Swedish Foreign Ministry said the talks went well.

In line with the decision taken at NATO's Madrid summit, representatives of the 30 NATO member countries will sign the accession protocols of Sweden and Finland on Tuesday to complete the official procedures.

- Participation protocols to be signed by all members

In the next step, the invited countries will each send a letter of intent to NATO’s secretary general in which they declare that they accept the terms and obligations of NATO membership and include a reform plan if agreed in the negotiations.

Following this, NATO will then prepare accession protocols to the Washington Treaty for each invitee. These protocols are signed by NATO countries.

The protocols must then be ratified by NATO member states in accordance with their national laws and procedures. All member states, after completing their ratification processes, issue a notification to the US – which hosts the treaty – that they have accepted the protocols that envisage the accession of each new member state.

When all these stages are completed, the NATO secretary-general invites the new members to join the alliance.

Finally, each new member completes their own national legal process and submits their respective accession document to the US and becomes a NATO member.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan