Exclusive news, data and analytics for financial market professionals, Reporting by Johan Ahlander and Simon Johnson; editing by Niklas Pollard, Crimea Bridge: why is it important and what happened to it, 'Heat storm' stretches into southern Europe, health alerts issued, Ukraine says fighting in east has intensified, Putin says Russia will use cluster bombs in Ukraine if it has to, Senior doctors in England announce more strikes, rejecting pay deal, Zimbabwe opposition leader launches campaign with promise of prosperity, Four dead as boat sinks in Bangladesh's Buriganga river, UK CFOs turn wary as inflation and borrowing costs bite: Deloitte, Britain lagging in delivery of new hospitals, watchdog says. Swedish media have reported that Kristersson is set to attend a bilateral meeting in Ankara, probably on 8 November, a few days after Natos secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, who is due to visit the Turkish capital for talks on Friday. "We are working to make the algorithm for gaining membership as clear and fast as possible.". Petr Tma. Speaking in parliament, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom was optimistic about Sweden's chances to join the alliance by the time of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania in July. (modern). NATO's Stoltenberg says Turkey agrees to move ahead with Sweden's NATO Stay informed on the latest news on health and COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report. Last year Sweden and Finland both reversed decades of military non-alignment and applied to join NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Ankara says time running out to ratify Sweden, Finland NATO bids Similarly, Hungary's legislature said the same day it would vote on ratification of Finland's accession on March 27, but not Sweden's. Milestones 4 April 1949: Signature of the North Atlantic Treaty by 12 founding members: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the . Turkey's Erdogan Says Lawmakers Will Take up Ratification of Sweden's This is the common website of the Government and the Government Offices. The biggest concern with Hungary now is less that it might keep Sweden in limbo for a few more months before ratification, and more that it might do so without plausible arguments. That said, I also would like to underline that this announcement in Vilnius will also bring obligations to Turkey to meet its side of the agreement. Mark Esper, a former U.S. secretary of defense, said on a visit to Finland that Turkey's ratification of Sweden for NATO was key to better relations. BUDAPEST, June 28 (Reuters) - Hungary's parliament will not ratify Sweden's NATO membership before the summer recess as it has not included the vote in the agenda of next week's session,. Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, abandoning policies of military non-alignment that had lasted through the decades of the Cold War. "Finland and Sweden are committed partners of NATO, have been involved in the Alliance's Partnership for Peace programme since 1994 and have played and are playing an active role in past and. Stockholm had been working hard on its bid ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius, together with the United States and its allies, urging Trkiye to abandon its opposition. "So this is a good day for Sweden and a good day for the whole of NATO," Stoltenberg says, crediting President Biden with making it possible. "It goes without saying that we will be able to become members by Vilnius," he said just ahead of the vote. Transatlantic Security Initiative. Erdogan to put Sweden's NATO ratification to Turkish parliament in autumn TT News Agency/Anders Wiklund via REUTERS. FILE PHOTO: Sweden's Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom and his Polish counterpart Zbigniew Rau (not pictured) attend the press conference after their meeting in Warsaw, June 12, 2023. USPresident Joe Biden, who welcomed the announcement, is due to hold face-to-face talks with Mr Erdogan during the summit. Gulys, chief of staff to Prime Minister Viktor Orbn, said the expansion of NATO to include the two Nordic countries would be . Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. Will Erdogan's Victory Soften Turkey's Opposition to Sweden in NATO Turkey blocked Sweden's bid, saying it wasn't doing enough to crack down on Kurdish militant groups that Turkey considers terrorists. Doing so raises new concerns about Hungarys approach to the Alliance beyond the specific issue of this enlargement. NATO wrapped up a key summit this week with one new member at the table and two more on the way a significant expansion of the alliance that, its head says, shows Russia miscalculated when it invaded Ukraine. On the significance of Scandinavian countries' membership. Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. Turkey is a very important ally. These include a small Islamist group, which on Wednesday said it opposed Sweden joining NATO as it allows attacks on Islamic values a reference to the burning of Qurans during protests in Stockholm. July 10, 2023. NATO on Tuesday officially began the ratification process to add of Finland and Sweden to the Western military alliance, a move that is expected to garner swift support from the alliance's. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. The PKK is considered a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the EU and the United States. VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday that Sweden's NATO membership bid would not be ratified by Turkey's parliament before October, but that he hopes for a swift ratification once lawmakers return from a break. Stoltenberg spoke to Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep about how the alliance is changing. Monarchy Executive Legislature Judiciary Elections Administrative divisions Foreign relations Related topics Sweden portal Other countries v t e Sweden and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have a close relationship and regularly carry out joint exercises, cooperate in peacekeeping operations, and share information. The behind-the-scenes developments and the reasoning for the decision that was taken will be relayed to Bahceli and other MHP executives," the person said. Erdogan's AK Party relies on the MHP for a parliamentary majority, which is required to push through the ratification. Fighting against terrorist organizations is our red line, so from now on we expect all our allies to show a principled stance in their fight against terrorist organizations, he said. Speaking in parliament, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom was optimistic about Sweden's chances to join the alliance by the time of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania in July. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoans announcement on the eve of the NATO Summit in Vilnius that he would back Swedens membership in the Turkish legislature could signal the beginning of the end. Sign up to receive the latest updates from U.S News & World Report and our trusted partners and sponsors. As the parliament opens, the ratification needs to be discussed and adopted at the parliaments foreign affairs committee first, before it goes to the floor. COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) A parliamentary delegation from Hungary said Tuesday that it supports Sweden's NATO membership bid after meeting the speaker of the Swedish parliament to iron out. By Atlantic Council experts This post was last updated on July 11, 2023. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Not all U.S. presidents are missed once they leave the White House. Hungary and Turkey have been the holdouts, and while they have shared this status, it is important to look at the differences in how Budapest and Ankara have handled the process. FILE PHOTO: Sweden's Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom and his Polish counterpart Zbigniew Rau . As the situation is in Ukraine now, with a full-fledged war going on, of course that makes it impossible to have Ukraine as a member. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? The decision by Erdogan was a significant move toward Swedens membership and came after days of intensive meetings. NATO should be proud of its recent accomplishmentsbut now it needs to follow through. Ankara has held out on the ratification for months, accusing Sweden of doing too little against people Turkey sees as terrorists, mainly Kurdish members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). This tells me that Erdoan will wait for the next steps both from Sweden and NATO, as well as from the EU before he sends the protocol to the Turkish parliament. At other events, demonstrators have waved flags showing support for the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is deemed a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies. The Vilnius summit looks set to be dominated by how NATO will define its future relationship with Ukraine, amid repeated calls by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for Kyiv to receive an invitation into the alliance. "Because unless Ukraine prevails as a democratic nation in Europe, there is no membership issue to be discussed at all.". Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan last week said Turkey's parliament would start ratifying Finland's accession but held off approving Sweden's bid. We are waiting for it to come to life. Turkey has said it has more objections to Sweden than Finland but both countries last week reiterated they would join Nato at the same time, maintaining a united front. STOCKHOLM, March 22 (Reuters) - Sweden's parliament on Wednesday formally approved a bill to allow the country to join NATO when its application has been ratified by all 30 members of the. U.S. Formally Approves Finland and Sweden's NATO Membership Nordic media have said as many as 73 may be pending. But the process has been held up by Turkey, which along with Hungary has yet to ratify the memberships. ANKARA (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan's government will hold talks with its nationalist parliamentary ally on ratifying Sweden's NATO accession, a senior official said on Wednesday, after . Sweden and Finland are on their way to NATO membership. Ankara has held out on the ratification for months, accusing Sweden of doing too little against people Turkey sees as terrorists, mainly Kurdish members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Anti-Turkish protests in Stockholm have also raised his ire. Defne Arslanis senior director of the Atlantic Council IN TURKEY program. "Bahceli's comments are not fully compatible with the steps that have been taken so far. In the lead-up to and following Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the United States and NATO allies have taken numerous steps to bolster allied force posture in Eastern Europe. Im much more optimistic than Ive ever been, Erdogan said when asked about the F-16 deal. "We want this process to end as soon as possible.". Atlantic Council experts. By the end of the summit, NATO members also had agreed on plans for countering a potential Russian attack on its territory, and had pledged to put at least 2% of their national GDP toward defense spending (expanding on a previous goal that only a handful of countries have met so far). Hans Binnendijk, Timo S. Koster. Image: Sweden's Foreign Minister Ann Linde and Finland's Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto attend a signing ceremony with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, signing their countries' accession protocols at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium July 5, 2022. Read what more Atlantic Council experts have to say about the state of play in Turkey: By Trkiye President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will forward Sweden's accession protocol to the Turkish parliament "as soon as possible", Mr Stoltenberg said ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius, but the . WASHINGTON President Joe Biden signed ratification documents Tuesday bringing Finland and Sweden one step closer to joining the NATO alliance. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan Turkey's parliament would start ratifying Finland's accession but held off approving Sweden's bid. If Sweden is accepted into the alliance it will end two centuries of military non-alignment for the country. Sweden NATO membership is a 'matter of time': Swedish Foreign Min - CNBC By But it's of course also extremely important for the Nordic region, where all our countries are now part of the same security arrangements, are members of NATO, and Sweden soon will be a full member. Editing by Alex Richardson, Angus MacSwan and Rosalba O'Brien, Crimea Bridge: why is it important and what happened to it, 'Heat storm' stretches into southern Europe, health alerts issued, Ukraine says fighting in east has intensified, Putin says Russia will use cluster bombs in Ukraine if it has to, Senior doctors in England announce more strikes, rejecting pay deal, Zimbabwe opposition leader launches campaign with promise of prosperity, Four dead as boat sinks in Bangladesh's Buriganga river, UK CFOs turn wary as inflation and borrowing costs bite: Deloitte, Britain lagging in delivery of new hospitals, watchdog says. "We are still working on the wording, that is, on the specific words of such confirmation, but we already understand the fact that Ukraine will be in the alliance," Mr Zelenskyy said in a video address. Prime Minister meets with party leaders to brief them on the security situation. Updated on: July 10, 2023 / 5:25 PM / CBS News. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson shake hands next to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg prior to their meeting, on the eve of a NATO summit, in Vilnius, Lithuania July 10, 2023. Twenty-eight of Nato's 30 members have ratified their requests. Trkiye agrees to move ahead with Sweden's NATO bid, allies to negotiate Ukraine agreement next. So all our dollars support Ukraine. Other parties in parliament have not said whether they would support the move. Speaker Andreas Norlen attends the vote in the Swedish Parliament regarding NATO membership, in Stockholm, Sweden, March 22, 2023. The 30 NATO allies have signed off on the accession protocols for Sweden and Finland, sending the membership bids of the two countries to the alliance capitals for legislative approval, in a. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin thought. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to support Sweden's bid to join NATO, the alliance's secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said . Budapest said last week it supported the applications and its parliament would ratify them by mid-December, but Ankara has again signalled it wants concrete action against groups it deems to be terrorist. Mr Stoltenberg has said that Kyiv will not become a member while war rages and that the summit will not issue a formal invitation. Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. Read more from Petr Tma, a visiting fellow at the Atlantic Councils Europe Center and career Czech diplomat: The problem of an unreliable Hungary will long outlast this foot-dragging over Sweden and Finland, and allies should be prepared to deal with an outlier thats weakening the system from within. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy. Atlantic Council experts. Erdogan said he expects Sweden to take concrete steps against terrorism as per their agreement, adding that Stockholm will also support updating Turkey's customs agreement with the European Union as well as visa-free travel. Ebba Busch, Minister for Energy, Business and Industry and Deputy Prime Minister, Romina Pourmokhtari, Minister for Climate and the Environment, Carl-Oskar Bohlin, Minister for Civil Defence, Johan Pehrson, Minister for Employment and Integration, Paulina Brandberg, Minister for Gender Equality and Working Life, Elisabeth Svantesson, Minister for Finance, Erik Slottner, Minister for Public Administration, Niklas Wykman, Minister for Financial Markets, Tobias Billstrm, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Johan Forssell, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Jakob Forssmed, Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health, Acko Ankarberg Johansson, Minister for Health Care, Anna Tenje, Minister for Older People and Social Security, Camilla Waltersson Grnvall, Minister for Social Services, Peter Kullgren, Minister for Rural Affairs, Andreas Carlson, Minister for Infrastructure and Housing, Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for Migration. "When it reopens, I believe our parliament speaker will bring this forward among international agreements. Turkey's Erdogan says lawmakers will take up ratification of Sweden's Statement from President Biden on Senate Ratification of the NATO Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile. Senate votes to ratify NATO membership for Sweden and Finland Finland joined NATO in April but Turkey continues to block Sweden's membership citing security concerns. This post was last updated on July 12, 2023. Hungary and Turkey still blocking Sweden and Finland from NATO Biden stated that he will do his best and that he will follow this process and he said that hes optimistic about it. Senior doctors in England will hold two days of strikes in August, their union the British Medical Association (BMA) said on Monday, dismissing a 6% pay rise announced by government last week as a "savage" real-terms wage cut. Sweden eventually took steps on adopting ananti-terrorism law in June. Finland and Sweden call on Hungary and Turkey to ratify Nato As an invitee country, Sweden participates in all aspects of NATO activities except for matters concerning nuclear weapons within the framework of the Nuclear . The move will expand the military alliance and strengthen its Baltic flank. The two countries remain the only NATO members still standing in the way of the unanimous ratification needed for Sweden to become the 32nd member of the US-led bloc. Sweden and neighbor Finland asked to join the trans-Atlantic military alliance last year in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Sweden in particular has faced objections from Turkey, which says Stockholm harbours members of what Turkey considers terrorist groups - a charge Sweden denies - and has demanded their extradition as a step towards giving Sweden's NATO membership the go-ahead. He has since said that Turkish lawmakers would take up ratification in October. Andrs Simonyi, and Why are Turkey and Hungary against Sweden joining NATO? In addition, the NATO secretary-general said the alliance would establish a special coordinator for counterterrorism. At the same time, Sweden will actively support the Republic of Turkey in the update of the customs union, visa liberalization and the membership process of Turkey to the European Union., Erdogan added that Sweden will help lift arms embargoes imposed on Turkey. VILNIUS, July 10 (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday agreed to forward to parliament Sweden's bid to join the NATO military alliance . Thats not a small deal. (Bloomberg) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said ratification of Sweden's application to join NATO may not happen until his country's parliament returns from a two-month summer. It was amongst other things about past statements people had made and how people viewed the activities of Kurdish groups on Swedish territory, Billstrm said, arguing that his Social Democrat predecessor, Ann Lindes, public support for Kurdish movements had complicated negotiations. (Reporting by Niklas Pollard and Simon JohnsonEditing by Gareth Jones), Tags: Ukraine, Sweden, Russia, United States, Asia, European Union, Denmark, United Kingdom, Europe, Finland, Norway. NATO members are divided over when and whether to issue a formal invitation, what conditions Ukraine would have to meet and how its progress should be tracked. Still, Turkey early on presented detailed arguments and conditions that allies could debate and sort out. Sweden Passes NATO Accession Bill as It Waits on Ratification Stay informed on the latest news on health and COVID-19 from the editors at U.S. News & World Report. On 5 July 2022, all NATO member countries signed the Accession Protocol for Sweden. Hungary has strongly. Parliaments of the Western military alliance's 30 members must all ratify the accession protocol. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses a media conference . Hungary delays ratification of Sweden's NATO membership, media report As Finland and Sweden's membership is forthcoming, Alliance leaders, NATO watchers, and transatlantic security experts need to consider how to fully integrate the new allies, include them in operational plans, and best enhance defense of a longer border with Russia. Related Experts: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to forward to parliament Sweden's bid to join the NATO military alliance, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday, on the eve of a NATO summit . Relations between Sweden and NATO date back to 1994 when Sweden joined the Partnership for Peace (PfP). "But we have also said that something that is legal is not always proper," he added. Mr Zelenskyy said the summit must confirm Ukraine is already "de facto"a member of NATO as it has its weapons and shares values with the alliance. Turkey expects an EU reform group to be revived after Ankara approves Sweden's NATO membership as Turkey seeks to enter a new period of improved ties with the West, a senior Turkish official told Reuters on Tuesday. Sweden is now gradually being integrated into NATO's structures. Turkey's agreement on Sweden has also been linked to Ankara's efforts to acquire new F-16 fighter planes and upgrade kits for its existing fighter fleet from the U.S. On 16 May 2022 the Government, with broad support in the Riksdag, decided to apply for NATO membership. Sweden and NATO - Government.se Sweden in particular has faced objections from Turkey, which says Stockholm harbours members of what Turkey considers terrorist groups - a charge Sweden denies - and has demanded their extradition as a step towards giving Sweden's NATO membership the go-ahead. July 11, 20234:10 AM PDTUpdated 4 days ago. The previous Swedish government followed through on parts of a June memorandum signed with Turkey to win Ankaras support, lifting the arms embargo and blocking financial and other support for Kurdish groups in Syria such as the so-called YPG. The reasons Turkey has taken longer are welldocumented. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. UkraineAlert is a comprehensive online publication that provides regular news and analysis on developments in Ukraines politics, economy, civil society, and culture. Some analysts have suggested Swedens centre-right government, formed earlier this month, may find it easier to compromise with Turkey than its centre-left predecessor. Since 5 July 2022, Sweden has been an official NATO Invitee, attending . All rights reserved. The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Budapest said last week it supported the applications and its parliament. Senate votes to ratify NATO membership for Sweden and Finland Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says that Swedens NATO membership bid would not be ratified by Turkeys parliament before October, but that he hopes for a swift ratification once lawmakers return from a two-month break. 14 Jan 2023 Turkish presidential spokesman says that Ankara is running out of time to ratify NATO membership bids by Sweden and Finland before the general elections expected in May. Applications to the alliance must be approved by all NATO members. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been quite clear on his major interests related to arms exports and in particular to Stockholms attitude toward Kurdish groups with alleged links to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union (EU). After all, it took the first twenty-eight NATO members fewer than ninety days to ratify both Finland and Swedens accession. The end is nearprobably. On July 10, Erdoan committed tosend Swedens NATO membership ratificationto the Turkish parliament. After Sweden's Accession Protocol is ratified by all NATO member countries according to national procedures, the country will also become a NATO Ally. Separately, a senior official told Reuters on Wednesday that Erdogan's government will hold talks with its nationalist parliamentary ally on ratifying Sweden's accession, after the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) appeared to take a negative view on the issue. Germany ratifies NATO accession for Finland, Sweden A weekly column by Atlantic Council President and CEO Frederick Kempe, Inflection Points focuses on the global challenges facing the United States and how to best address them. Erdogan said he expects Sweden to take concrete steps against terrorism as per their agreement, adding that Stockholm will also support updating Turkey's customs agreement with the European Union as well as visa-free travel. Hungary has also still to ratify Sweden's NATO bid. Swedens new prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, said at the same meeting in Helsinki that Sweden had full respect for the fact that every country within the alliance makes its own decisions, adding that he was due to visit Ankara in the coming days. Stoltenberg's NATO summit takeaways, from Ukraine to Turkey and Sweden See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. In contrast, Budapest has been opaque on the reasons why it delayed ratification on Finland and continues to do so for Sweden. IranSource provides a holistic look at Irans internal dynamics, global and regional policies, and posture through unique analysis of current events and long-term, strategic issues related to Iran. ANKARA (Reuters) -Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that he will forward the ratification of Sweden's NATO bid to parliament when it reopens in the autumn, adding that he. Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks.