Norway and the United States are strongly advocating for NATO to grant approval for Sweden's membership before the upcoming summit in July
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Loading... - Theo Pearson
- 01 Jun 2023
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Norway and the United States are strongly advocating for Sweden's swift approval as a full member of the NATO military alliance. Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt emphasized the urgency of Sweden's accession before the upcoming NATO Vilnius summit in July.
Huitfeldt stated, "There is absolutely no justification for delaying Sweden's inclusion," as she expressed her views ahead of a two-day NATO meeting of foreign ministers in Oslo. She further asserted, "Sweden meets all the necessary criteria."
In May 2022, Sweden, along with its traditionally neutral neighbor Finland, submitted their applications to join the alliance. While Finland's bid was ratified in April 2023, Hungary and Turkey have hindered Sweden's accession. As per NATO's policy, any new member requires unanimous approval from all existing member countries, granting them veto power.
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom hopes that the implementation of new anti-terrorism legislation, effective this week, will help overcome Turkey's veto. Billstrom explained to reporters in Lulea, northern Sweden, that this legislation would close a loophole in their existing anti-terrorist laws. He stated, "Sweden had not previously prohibited participation in a terrorist organization. We are rectifying this now."
Turkey claims that Sweden provides shelter to members of militant groups that it considers to be terrorists. The new legislation will criminalize arranging meetings, offering logistical or financial support, and even providing food to these outlawed groups.
The broad scope of this law has raised concerns in Sweden regarding potential infringements on freedom of speech and other fundamental rights. Nonetheless, the Swedish government hopes that these measures will convince Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was recently re-elected, to grant Sweden NATO membership before the Vilnius summit in July.
Despite mounting pressure, especially from the United States, Erdogan has remained steadfast in refusing to support Sweden's NATO bid. Billstrom expressed his optimism that the NATO gathering in Oslo this week would emphasize the urgency of Sweden's accession. He said, "I anticipate receiving clear messages that Sweden is welcomed into the NATO family, with high expectations of our membership being granted before Vilnius."
On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Turkey to ratify Sweden's application, acknowledging that the Nordic country has already taken significant steps to address Ankara's objections. Blinken expressed U.S. support for Sweden's bid, stating, "We believe the time is ripe to move forward without any delay. Turkey has raised valid and important concerns, and both Sweden and Finland have addressed them. We anticipate the completion of this process in the following weeks. We have full confidence that it can, should, and will be accomplished."
