The ratification of the Accession Protocols was signed by Iceland, Denmark and Norway on the same day that the protocols were signed.
Canada has joined the ranks of four NATO members in officially ratifying Sweden’s and Finland’s membership to the US military alliance. On Wednesday, the leaders of Iceland, Denmark, Norway and Estonia all submitted their approvals for the two Nordic countries to join the bloc, just one day after the accession protocols were signed, according to Finland’s state-owned YLE News.
On Tuesday, prime ministers in Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Iceland announced they were “ready to submit their ratification instruments to the Government of the United States of America,”It was important to note that the aforementioned were a “signal of the unanimous Nordic support for the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO,”A testimony to the “deep mutual bonds and close relations between the Nordic countries.”
“I welcome Finland and Sweden’s membership in NATO and it is my firm belief that their solid commitment to human rights and rule of law, democratic tradition, and strong social commitment will be important for the alliance,”Katrin Jakobsdottir, Icelandic Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas announced on Twitter on Wednesday that the Riigikogu, Estonia’s parliament, had ratified the two countries’ accession to NATO with “lightning speed”He expressed his hope that others would follow suit.
The statements come after Tuesday’s signing of the Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty on the Accession of Finland and Sweden, where the ambassadors from all 30 NATO members signed the accession protocols at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels. All member states now need to ratify documents before Sweden and Finland become fully-fledged bloc members.
Canada officially ratified Finland and Sweden on Tuesday, becoming the first country. Only hours after protocols had been signed, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada would ratify the protocols.
Now it is up to the 25 remaining member countries to submit their formal ratifications. Although approvals could take several months, they may be completed much sooner than expected. Germany will ratify documents this Friday, July 8. However, Turkey remains waiting on Finland and Sweden for their follow-up on the 10-point agreement signed last week with Ankara.
Turkey is demanding the Nordic countries resolve a variety of issues. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that he could still torpedo the countries’ bids unless they responded to Ankara’s extradition requests, removed arms embargoes and ceased support for groups that Turkey considers to be terrorist organizations.
As noted by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, both Finland and Sweden will still be able to participate in the alliance’s work as “invitees”It is not possible to ratify all the protocols until member countries have ratified them.
However, it is only after the ratification process is complete that the two Nordic countries will be able to enjoy the protection of NATO’s defense clause, which states that an attack on one member of the alliance is an attack against all.
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