The Prime Minister of Finland estimated on Tuesday June 14 that NATO membership applications from Finland and Sweden could be frozen if an agreement with Turkey, which is currently blocking their candidacies, was not reached before the summit. of the Alliance at the end of the month.
Any NATO membership agreement must be approved unanimously by its thirty members.
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The two Nordic countries have repeatedly expressed surprise at Turkey's objections, saying Ankara had signaled its support for their membership applications until they submitted them.
“
I think it's very important to move forward at this stage.
If we don't resolve these issues before Madrid, the situation is likely to freeze
," said Prime Minister Sanna Marin, referring to the next NATO summit in Madrid, which is due to start on June 28.
"
We don't know for how long, but the situation could be frozen for a while
," she told reporters during a visit to Sweden.
A haven for the Kurdistan Workers' Party
Ankara accuses Sweden and Finland of offering refuge to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a group classified as "
terrorist
" by Turkey and its Western allies.
Sanna Marin stressed that the two countries take Turkey's concerns seriously and want to address them "
and if there are misunderstandings, correct them
".
The minister, however, noted that Turkey had previously declared that the Nordic countries would be welcomed into NATO, but that Ankara had changed its position once the membership applications were submitted.
“
Of course we take all issues very seriously and we have discussions, but I also think it is up to Turkey to try to find solutions.
“said Sanna Marin during a joint press conference with her Nordic counterparts.
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Figaro
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said during a visit to Sweden on Monday that NATO is "
working hard
" to resolve the "
legitimate
" issues raised by Turkey.
He, however, felt that the blockade by Turkey might not be resolved in time for the Alliance summit.
The two Nordic countries, breaking with a long tradition of neutrality, decided to join NATO in reaction to the offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine on February 24.
