Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg has announced its intention to hold remote negotiations with the President of Finland Sauli Niinistö on Thursday.
Stoltenberg said that the discussion will focus on Finland’s possible application for membership and possible arrangements for the period between the submission of the application and its ratification.
News agency Reuters reports on Thursday Stoltenberg said that Finland and Sweden could join NATO quickly if they submit an application.
"If they decide to apply, Finland and Sweden will be warmly received and I expect the process to move forward quickly," Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels.
The possibility of applying to NATO is currently being discussed in Parliament on the basis of a security policy report submitted by the government before Easter, which sets out the advantages and disadvantages of the alliance’s membership.
The decision on whether or not to apply for Finland is expected to be resolved within weeks, and the final decision will be made by the President and the Government’s Foreign and Security Policy Committee.
Suitable arrangements can be found
One of the key questions in the debate on Finland’s possible accession to NATO has been what support Finland would receive between the submission of the application and the ratification of all 30 member states of the current union.
As a general rule, a new application for membership is first considered by the NATO Council, after which it must also be approved at national level by each of the current member states.
This process can take three to 12 months, although Stoltenberg has previously stated that a council decision can be made relatively quickly.
"I am sure that there are ways to cover the period so that it is good enough and works in both Finland and Sweden," He further stated that the purpose of the process was to ensure that there was no uncertainty about the right of Finland and Sweden to choose their own path.
"When Russia tries to threaten and intimidate Finland and Sweden not to apply [Nato membership]It just shows how Russia does not respect the fundamental right of every state to choose its own path," he said.
Source: The Nordic Page
