Ukraine conflict: Allies sign NATO accession protocols for Finland and Sweden

Press conference by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, and Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde following the signature of the NATO accession protocols for the two Nordic countries on 5 July. (NATO)

The 30 ambassadors to NATO signed the accession protocols for Finland and Sweden on 5 July in the presence of Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto and Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde. In a joint press conference with the two ministers following the signings, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg described the signing as “a historic day for Finland, for Sweden, for NATO, and for Euro-Atlantic security”.

“Finland and Sweden will make strong and important contributions to our alliance. Our forces are interoperable. They have trained, exercised, and served together for many years. We share the same values and we face the same challenges, in the Baltic Sea, and beyond.”

He expected “all allies to ensure the speedy ratification of the accession, according to their national procedures”. The accession protocols amend the 1949 Washington Treaty that created NATO for ratification by allies. For many alliance members, ratification requires parliamentary approval, for example by two-thirds of the US Senate, while for some executive approval is sufficient, such as for the UK.

Stoltenberg expected “allies to deliver a quick and swift and smooth ratification process”, noting that it took 12 months last time for North Macedonia, which became the thirtieth alliance member in March 2020. “I'll not tell you exactly, but we speak about months, and I welcome the fact that many allies have already started and announced that they will do this quicker than normal,” he said.