London, Europe Brief News – NATO leaders formally invited Finland and Sweden to join the alliance.
The decision came after the two Nordic countries reached an agreement with Turkey, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s office said Helsinki and Stockholm agreed “to cooperate fully with Turkey in its fight” against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and other groups Ankara considers terrorist organisations.
Leaders from the 30 members have been meeting in Madrid to discuss the war and support for Kyiv. They will also discuss how to combat Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a lengthy declaration, they said: “Today, we have decided to invite Finland and Sweden to become members of NATO. We also agreed to sign the accession protocols.
“We also welcome the conclusion of the trilateral memorandum between Turkey, Finland, and Sweden to that effect.
“The accession of Finland and Sweden will make them safer, NATO stronger, and the Euro-Atlantic area more secure.
“The security of Finland and Sweden is of direct importance to the Alliance, including during the accession process.”
A senior US official said Turkey did not ask for anything as part of its acquiescence, Reuters reported.
Sweden‘s Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson further hailed a “very good agreement” with Turkey to back Swedish and Finnish membership in NATO and said the move would make the military alliance stronger.
