Helsinki: Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto has signed into law his country’s accession to the NATO, which was ratified by parliament on March 1.
This act formally sealed the Nordic country’s historic bid to join the military alliance.
Next, Finland will submit its NATO membership-related documents to the US administration once Turkey and Hungary ratify its membership bid, Xinhua news agency reported.
Last Friday, during Niinisto’s visit to Turkey, the country’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said that Ankara would begin the process of ratifying Finland’s bid.
According to Turkish media reports cited by the Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat, the foreign affairs commission of the Turkish parliament approved Finland’s NATO membership on Thursday, after which the discussion of Finland’s NATO membership will be brought to parliament’s general assembly.
Hungary’s parliament is expected to vote on Finland’s membership bid next Monday, Helsingin Sanomat said.
All 30 NATO allies must sign off on the accession protocols of new members. To date, 28 member states have done so.
–IANS