BRUSSELS, 18 May. (EUROPE PRESS) –
The accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO does not arouse the necessary consensus among the 30 allies after the first meeting of the Atlantic Council that has reviewed the candidacy of both Scandinavian countries to enter the military alliance, allied sources have confirmed to Europa Press.
The allies have not given the go-ahead to open negotiations with Helsinki and Stockholm, due to Turkey’s reluctance, the sources consulted have reported, which alleges links between both Scandinavian countries with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a Kurdish organization considered terrorist for Ankara.
The decision-making body of NATO, which brings together all the allies, held a first meeting on Wednesday in which the members of the organization had it in their hands to give the green light to the start of accession talks with Sweden and Finland.
The members have studied the candidacy just a few hours after the two Nordic countries have delivered this Wednesday to the Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, the formal application for entry into the Atlantic Alliance.
Now Stoltenberg is expected to make a move and open consultations with allies to unblock the situation, the sources have pointed out. Due to the Russian threat and the fact that both candidates are the closest partners to NATO and already participate in exercises and missions, the entry of Sweden and Finland is expected quickly if obstacles like those that Turkey has already begun to put on the table do not arise. , which threatens to veto the entry.
This same Wednesday, Stoltenberg has assured that the security interests of the 30 allies must be taken into account, but he has asked NATO members to take advantage of the “historic moment” represented by the entry of Sweden and Finland into the organization.
“All allies agree on the importance of NATO’s expansion. We agree that we must be together and that it is a historic moment that we must take advantage of,” stressed the former Norwegian prime minister, after receiving the request from income, while he has urged to review the candidacy soon and “reach conclusions quickly”.
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