NATO: 30 allies sign accession protocols for Sweden and Finland

The 30 members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have signed off on the accession protocols for Sweden and Finland, days after Turkey lifted its veto against the expansion.

The move sends the membership bids of the two nations to the alliance capitals for legislative approvals.

It marks one of the biggest shifts in European security in decades and further increases Russia’s strategic isolation in the wake of its invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in February.

Alliance secretary general Jens Stoltenberg described it as a “truly a historic moment for Finland, for Sweden and for Nato.”

What happened? 

On Tuesday 5 July 2022, the 30 ambassadors and permanent representatives formally approved the decisions of last week’s NATO summit when the alliance made the historic decision to invite Russia’s neighbour Finland and Scandinavian partner Sweden to join the military club.

Despite the agreement in the alliance, parliamentary approval in member state Turkey could still pose problems for their final inclusion as members.

Last week, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that Ankara could still block the process if the two countries fail to fully meet Turkey’s demand to extradite terror suspects with links to outlawed Kurdish groups or the network of an exiled cleric accused of a failed 2016 coup in Turkey.

He said Turkey’s parliament could refuse to ratify the deal. This is a potent threat since NATO accession must be formally approved by all 30 member states - which gives each a blocking right.

Mr Stoltenberg said he expected no change of heart, stating: “There were security concerns that needed to be addressed. And we did what we always do at NATO. We found common ground.

“We will be even stronger and our people will be even safer as we face the biggest security crisis in decades”.

Every alliance nation has different legislative challenges and procedures to deal with, and it could take several more months for the two countries to become official members.

Finnish foreign minister Pekka Haavisto said: “I look forward to a swift ratification process”.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has given the process added urgency. It will ensconce the two nations in the Western military alliance and give NATO more clout, especially in the face of Moscow’s military threat.

Tuesday’s signing-off does bring both nations deeper into NATO’s fold already.

As close partners, they already attended some meetings involving issues immediately affecting them, and as official invitees, they can attend all meetings of the ambassadors even if they do not yet have any voting rights.