“Historic moment” as NATO allies sign accession protocol for Finland, Sweden

NATO’s 30 allies signed an accession protocol for Finland and Sweden on Tuesday, allowing the two countries to join the military alliance once parliaments ratify the decision.

The signing, away from cameras, follows a deal with Turkey last weekend at the NATO Summit in Madrid, Spain, where Ankara lifted its veto on the Nordic membership bids following assurances from both countries that they will do more to fight terrorism.

“This is truly a historic moment,” said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, marking the most significant expansion of the military alliance since the 1990’s.

The protocol means Helsinki and Stockholm can now participate in NATO meetings and have greater access to intelligence, but will not yet be protected by the NATO defence clause until ratification. That is expected to take about a year.

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