Both countries decided to join the Alliance after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that it is important that the applications of Finland and Sweden to join of the Alliance were ratified as soon as possible. In his opinion, the key issue is not the simultaneous entry of countries, but that the accession happens quickly. This is reported by Reuters.
Both countries decided to join NATO after Russia's invasion of Ukraine last February, and their membership applications have been ratified by all members of the alliance except Hungary and Turkey.
Turkey is seen as a major obstacle, and the country's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country could ratify Finland's bid but not Sweden's.
Western officials say they would prefer the two countries to join NATO together, in part because it would be easier. integrate them simultaneously into the military structures of the Alliance.
But Stoltenberg, speaking before a meeting of defense ministers of NATO countries at the Alliance's headquarters in Brussels, expressed the opinion that this is a secondary issue.
“The main issue is not whether the applications of Finland and Sweden will be ratified together. The main issue is for both of them to be ratified as full members as soon as possible. I am sure that both countries will become full members of the Alliance, and I am working hard to ensure that the applications of both countries are ratified as soon as possible,” he told reporters.
Stoltenberg emphasized that Sweden and Finland have already moved significantly closer to NATO in recent months.
Finland's parliamentary factions said they could ratify NATO's founding treaties in the coming weeks. This may lead to Helsinki gaining membership in the Alliance before Sweden.
Read also: The President of Finland said when he expects the country to join NATO
Only two of the 30 countries of the Alliance – Hungary and Turkey have not yet ratified their applications. Ratification by Hungary is seen as a formality and is expected in the near future.
Turkey, meanwhile, has raised significant objections to the Nordic countries joining the alliance, citing their support for Kurdish groups that Ankara views as a terrorist threat.
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Ankara suspended talks after protests in Stockholm in which activists burned the Koran.
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Erdogan recently said that Turkey would not approve Sweden's bid to accession to NATO, while the attitude towards Finland on this issue is positive.
