Sweden, Finland to submit NATO applications Wednesday
Photo taken on April 6, 2022 shows a sculpture and flags at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Moscow would respond if NATO were to deploy military infrastructure on the territories of Finland or Sweden.
STOCKHOLM, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Sweden and Finland will jointly submit their applications for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership on Wednesday, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said Tuesday.
NATO membership will strengthen security in Sweden as well as in the Baltic Sea region, she said at a press conference with visiting Finnish President Sauli Niinisto.
Submitting joint applications with Finland "means that we can contribute to security in northern Europe," Andersson added.
Security in the two countries is closely linked, she said, and close cooperation has been crucial. "Our joint NATO application is a signal that we are united for the future."
Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde signed the country's NATO membership application on Tuesday morning.
Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson speaks at a press conference in Stockholm, Sweden, May 16, 2022. (Ninni Andersson/Government Offices of Sweden/Handout via Xinhua)
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Moscow would respond if NATO were to deploy military infrastructure on the territories of Finland or Sweden.
Niinisto is visiting Sweden from Tuesday to Wednesday. Andersson and Niinisto are then scheduled to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington on Thursday, according to the Swedish government.
People protest against Sweden's decision to apply to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Stockholm, Sweden, May 16, 2022. (Photo by Wei Xuechao/Xinhua)
Photos
- China’s central bank to issue commemorative coins on cultural theme of auspiciousness, including two heart-shaped coins
- Population of endangered black-headed gulls exceeds 10,000 mark in NE China’s coastal city of Panjin
- China's self-developed floating airship breaks record
- Chinese germplasm bank conserves biodiversity in warm temperate zone
Related Stories
- Facts about Russia-Ukraine conflict: Putin says Russia would respond to expansion of NATO military infrastructure into Finland, Sweden
- Geopolitical tension mounts as Sweden, Finland poised to join NATO
- Interview: NATO expansion root cause of Ukraine crisis: former senior French official
- CSTO vows readiness for pragmatic cooperation with NATO, peace in Eurasia
- Sweden to apply to join NATO, says PM
Copyright © 2022 People's Daily Online. All Rights Reserved.