HELSINKI: The Finnish government officially announced its intention to join Nato on Sunday, as Sweden’s ruling Social Democratic Party on Sunday said it was in favour of joining Nato, reversing its decades-long opposition and paving the way for the country to submit a membership application.
“The Social Democrats will thereby work to ensure that Sweden, if the application is approved, expresses unilateral reservations against the deployment of nuclear weapons and permanent bases on Swedish territory,” the party said in a statement just hours after neighbouring Finland announced its official intention to apply for membership.
Less than three months after Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24, the move is a stunning reversal of Finland’s policy on military non-alignment dating back more than 75 years.
Sweden, which has been militarily non-aligned for more than two centuries, is expected to follow suit with a similar announcement, possibly on Monday. “This is a historic day. A new era is opening”, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto told reporters at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Sanna Marin on Sunday.
Nato membership needs to be approved and ratified by all 30 members of the alliance.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed last-minute objections, but Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Sunday that Ankara was not opposed to the two countries’ bids. “Turkey made it clear that its intention is not to block membership,” Stoltenberg told reporters virtually after alliance foreign ministers met in Berlin.
“I am confident we’ll be able to find common ground, consensus on how to move on membership issues,” Stoltenberg said, adding that he was in touch with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. Cavusoglu lauded Finland’s conciliatory approach, but criticised Sweden’s foreign minister for “provocative” statements.— AFP
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