4 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) –
The US Department of State has congratulated Finland on its entry into NATO during a meeting between the Finnish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Jukka Salovaara, and the US Undersecretary of State, Wendy Sherman.
“Friends today, allies tomorrow,” Salovaara celebrated in a message on his Twitter account, in which he also reiterated the intention of both countries to collaborate so that Sweden also joins the group.
“Now we just need Sweden to come together to complete this image, all the Nordic countries together,” he said, along with a photo in which he and Sherman toast with mugs with the NATO logo.
In addition to congratulating the plans to join the organization, during the meeting at the White House, Sherman praised the “free, open and fair elections (held) on April 2” in the Nordic country.
Finland will become NATO’s 31st ally on Tuesday, once Turkey has completed the ratification process and will deposit Finland’s accession protocol with the US State Department in Washington.
Sweden and Finland simultaneously presented their accession candidacy last May with the promise of an ‘express’ accession, although Ankara’s decision to separate the ratification procedures, together with the presidential elections that will keep Parliament blocked until the summer , has delayed Stockholm’s entry into NATO.
