NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed his confidence that Turkey will not block Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO, provided they submit a request to that effect, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.
«Turkey does not intend to block accession, so I am confident that we will be able to address the concerns expressed by Ankara in a way that will not delay the accession process‘ for the two countries, said the NATO Secretary General during a press conference following the conclusion of the informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Berlin, adding: »Turkey is an important partner. It has expressed some concerns (…) When an ally raises concerns, we have proven over decades that we are able to sit down and find common ground to move forward. That is what we intend to do in this case as well. Because everyone recognizes the historic significance of this moment.«.
Blinken-Çavuşoğlu Talks: U.S. Secretary of State Says He Is Confident Consensus Will Be Reached on Sweden and Finland
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken affirmed today that the U.S. «strongly supports» Sweden and Finland’s applications for NATO membership, while also stating that he spoke with his Turkish counterpart about Ankara’s concerns regarding the accession of these two countries and is convinced that a consensus can be reached.
«I don’t want to comment on the specific discussion we had, either with the foreign minister or during the NATO meetings, but I can say this: There was very strong support from nearly everyone at the table for the accession (of Sweden and Finland) to the alliance,’ Blinken told reporters after the meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Berlin.
«If that is what they choose to do, I am absolutely convinced that we will reach a consensus,» the minister added.
