Reuters reported that 30 NATO member states have signed a Protocol to join Finland and Sweden, allowing the two countries to become full members after the parliament of all NATO member states approves. This move marks NATO's most important expansion since the 1990s.
The signing ceremony at NATO headquarters followed an agreement with Turkey at the NATO summit in Madrid last week. Turkey has agreed to support Finland and Sweden in becoming NATO members after the two Nordic countries pledged to do more to fight terrorism.
"This is truly a historic moment. With 32 members, we will be even stronger, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said alongside the two foreign ministers.
Under the process, Helsinki and Stockholm can now attend NATO meetings and have more access to intelligence, but will not be protected by NATO's defense provisions until they formally join. This clause stipulates that an attack on an ally is an attack against all of NATO.
According to the NATO Charter, the admission of new members must be approved by all 30 current members of the alliance, through negotiations with many procedures.
Typically, the admission of new members usually takes about 8-12 months, but NATO is looking to speed up the process.
Russia has repeatedly warned both countries not to join NATO. On March 12, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, "there will be serious military and political consequences".
Mr. Stoltenberg called on the allies to quickly ratify and assure the two Nordic countries of NATO support during the waiting period.
The security of Finland and Sweden is very important for our alliance, even during the ratification process. Many allies have made clear commitments to the security of Finland and Sweden, and NATO has increased its presence in the region, including holding more drills," said Stoltenberg.
