Canada PM Trudeau 'wholeheartedly' endorses Finland and Sweden’s bid for NATO membership

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that Canada "strongly supports" Finland and Sweden's decision to seek membership in North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). Calling Canada a "close friend and security partner," PM Trudeau assured Sweden and Finland that Canada will support both the countries in the accession process. Trudeau's statement comes after both the Nordic countries officially submitted their application for NATO membership. 

"Canada strongly supports Finland and Sweden’s decision to pursue NATO membership. As a close friend and security partner, Canada will support Finland and Sweden through the accession process, including against threats to their security," Canadian PM Justin Trudeau said in the statement.  

Justin Trudeau said that Canada "wholeheartedly" endorses the application of Sweden and Finland to join NATO, according to the statement released by the Canadian government. He stressed that it is Sweden and Finland's right to choose their security arrangement. He underscored that Finland and Sweden are alliance's "closest and most active security and defence partners." According to PM Trudeau, Finland and Sweden share the commitment of NATO to follow rules-based international systems and obey the principles of state sovereignty and territorial integrity. He expressed confidence that both the nations will rapidly join the NATO and called their militaries "highly qualified and capable." Trudeau asserted that NATO is a defence alliance and it does not cause a threat to any country. 

"It is Finland and Sweden’s sovereign right to choose their own security arrangements, and we wholeheartedly endorse their application without reservation," Canadian PM Justin Trudeau said in the statement.  

Sweden & Finland submit application to join NATO

Sweden and Finland on Wednesday, May 18, submitted their application to join NATO. The official applications were handed over by the Finnish Ambassador to NATO Klaus Korhonen and the Swedish Ambassador to NATO Axel Wernhoff to Jens Stoltenberg at the NATO headquarters in Brussels. Stoltenberg welcomed the requests of Finland and Sweden to join the military alliance by saying "this is a good day, at a critical moment for our security." He called the decision of the two Nordic countries a "historic step" and stressed that the alliance will now consider the next steps. 

"I warmly welcome the requests by Finland and Sweden to join NATO. You are our closest partners," Jens Stoltenberg told reporters. 

Image: AP