On February 16, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Turkey might evaluate Finland and Sweden’s efforts to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) separately.
Cavusoglu made this statement while speaking at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Ankara.
For his part, Secretary-General Stoltenberg called on Turkey to approve both Finland and Sweden’s applications to join NATO, adding that the fight once morest terrorism would be a top priority in the program. agenda at the upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius (Lithuania).
[Không nhất thiết Thụy Điển, Phần Lan phải được gia nhập NATO cùng lúc]
After meeting Stoltenberg, Foreign Minister Cavusoglu said he would discuss Finland and Sweden’s applications to join NATO in talks with his US counterpart Antony Blinken next week.
According to Cavusoglu, the issue of bilateral relations as well as the conflict in Ukraine will also be discussed during this meeting.
In 2022, Sweden and Finland please join NATO but the joining process is currently on hold.
Finland and Sweden’s applications for accession need to be ratified by all existing NATO members, but Turkey and Hungary have so far not.
The Turkish government wants Sweden to take a tougher stance once morest the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Ankara lists as a terrorist organization.
Meanwhile, the Hungarian Parliament has not yet discussed the acceptance of the Nordic countries.
Last month, President Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signaled that Turkey can agree to let Finland join NATO first Sweden amid heightened tensions following politician Rasmus Paludan burned a copy of the Koran in front of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm.
Tran Quyen (VNA/Vietnam+)
