Czech Republic & Germany approve accession of Finland and Sweden's NATO bid

Nearly hours after NATO Secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg confirmed Finland and Sweden submitted their application to join the military alliance, the Czech Republic and Germany were the first NATO members to approve the accession. 

Notably, after the announcement, the Czech Republic’s government has unanimously approved NATO membership for Finland and Sweden. Taking to Twitter, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said he believes both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate will pass the accession, as governing parties hold the majority in both chambers of the parliament.

"The government of the Czech Republic has unanimously approved the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO. Now both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate must do so. However, I do not expect any complications," Fiala wrote on the microblogging site. 

Meanwhile, Berlin said that it remains confident that both the countries will be able to join NATO despite objections raised by other member countries. Notably, Berlin was pointing fingers at Turkey, which blocked the assession. Government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann told reporters in Berlin wants Sweden and Finland to join the alliance as soon as possible. 

"The German government remains confident that all NATO members will support this entry, that it can take place quickly," she said. "I can’t tell you about the details, but the federal government is actively advocating that this happen as soon as possible and that all contradictions be removed," she added.

Further, she assured that both the Nordic countries can rely on Berlin in the "difficult phase" in the process of joining NATO. Meanwhile, the Canadian Prime Minister assured both the countries to support the accession process.

Turkey blocks Finland and Sweden's NATO bid

However, Turkey, which had earlier warned of hindering the plans of Sweden and Finland, has finally blocked the US-backed military alliance's initial process, Financial Times reported on Wednesday. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan urged NATO allies to respect and support Ankara's concerns about its security. "We see that there is no such attitude towards us," he said.

Erdogan said Ankara always supported all kinds of military alliances but stressed he could not support 'yes' to every proposal. Earlier today, NATO Secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg indicated the process of approving the first stage of Finland and Sweden’s application would be completed within one or two weeks, however, Turkey's latest move has made it nearly "impossible".

Image: AP