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Sweden's Foreign Minister Ann Linde at the signing
Photo: Henrik Montgomery/AP
Only on Monday did the Swedish government finally decide to join NATO.
Sweden's Foreign Minister Ann Linde has now signed her country's NATO membership application.
"Our NATO application is now officially signed," Linde wrote on Twitter.
This will now be sent to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg as soon as Finland has signed an application.
"It feels big, it feels serious, it feels like we've ended up doing what we think is best for Sweden after all," Linde said of the decision on the NATO membership application.
Finland and Sweden, who decided to apply for membership in the military alliance under the impression of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, want to submit their membership applications together.
Finnish decision pending
Finland's President Sauli Niinistö and the Finnish government have already decided to submit an application.
The Finnish parliament could still vote on Tuesday.
A dispute with NATO member Turkey is the only cause of resentment.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has accused Sweden and Finland of supporting the PKK and has threatened to vote against admitting it.
However, a unanimous vote by all NATO members is required.
Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn is now accusing Erdoğan of having a "bazaar mentality"; he only wants to use his threat to haggle over armaments.
mrc/dpa
