Member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have signed off on the accession protocols for Finland and Sweden, days after Turkey lifted its veto against the historic Nordic expansion.
The move on Monday paves the way for what is expected to be a lengthy ratification process, which must be unanimous among the 30 member states. The next step will be the approval of the two countries’ memberships in the legislative institutions of each member state.
Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO marks one of the biggest shifts in European security in decades and further increase Russia’s strategic isolation in the wake of its invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in February.
NATO’s ambassadors and Stoltenberg stood together for a photo in which the foreign ministers of Sweden and Finland held up their signed protocols, before breaking out into applause.
“Thank you for your support! Now the process of ratification by each of the allies begins,” Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said on Twitter.
Despite the agreement in the military alliance at a summit last week in Madrid, parliamentary approval in member state Turkey could still pose problems for the Nordic duo’s final inclusion as members.
