US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington will soon be able to call Finland and Sweden “NATO allies” as the two countries address Turkey’s security concerns about their membership in the bloc. .
Blinken, speaking at a news conference after meetings at the State Department with his Swedish and Finnish counterparts, said the two nations are already being integrated into the alliance’s work.
Turkey has raised “significant security concerns” about Finland’s and Sweden’s bids for NATO membership, Blinken said.
The top US diplomat said he is “confident” that the effort to win the support of Turkey and Hungary “is moving forward in a process that is appropriate and that we will soon welcome them as members”.
“Turkey has raised significant security concerns in this process, and the process is being used effectively and productively to address these concerns,” Blinken was quoted as saying as he received his Finnish and Swedish counterparts at the State Department.
Finland and Sweden formally applied to join NATO in May, abandoning decades of military non-commitment, a decision prompted by Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Turkey – a NATO member for more than 70 years – expressed objections, accusing both countries of tolerating and even supporting terrorist groups.
Turkey and the two Nordic countries signed a memorandum at a NATO summit in June to address Ankara’s legitimate security concerns, paving the way for their eventual membership in the alliance.