NATO: "Finland and Sweden's Membership Requests Will Be Processed Quickly"

Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), held a press conference after a meeting with Andrzej Duda, President of Poland, at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on the 7th (local time).

The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) said that if Finland and Sweden request to join NATO, the process could proceed quickly.

According to major foreign media on the 28th (local time), Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, told reporters in Brussels, Belgium, "If they decide to apply for membership, Finland and Sweden will be welcomed, and I expect the process to move quickly."

Secretary General Stoltenberg also said he is confident that if these two countries apply for NATO membership, there will be a good way to bridge the interim period until the official ratification by the parliaments of the 30 NATO member countries.

Finland and Sweden have maintained a neutral stance under their military non-alignment policies and have cooperated with NATO without joining. However, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, public opinion in both countries has shifted more favorably toward NATO membership, sparking debate over the issue.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin recently stated that her country will make a decision on whether to apply for NATO membership within the next few weeks. Sweden is also discussing the issue of NATO membership following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.