Washington, June 29 (UNI) US President Joe Biden has congratulated Turkey, Finland and Sweden for signing a trilateral memorandum paving way for the Allies to invite Finland and Sweden to join NATO at the Madrid Summit.
On Tuesday (local time), Biden said: "Finland and Sweden are strong democracies with highly capable militaries. Their membership will strengthen NATO’s collective security and benefit the entire Transatlantic Alliance.
"I look forward to working with NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg, our Allies, and with Congress to ensure that we can quickly welcome them into our Alliance.
"As we begin this historic NATO Summit in Madrid, our Alliance is stronger, more united and more resolute than ever."
According to The Guardian, a last minute agreement was reached between Turkey, Finland and Sweden to allow the two Nordic countries to become NATO members on the eve of the military alliance’s summit in Madrid.
Jens Stoltenberg, Nato’s secretary general, said, "Turkey, Finland and Sweden have signed a memorandum that addresses Turkey’s concerns, including around arms exports and the fight against terrorism."
The US President will be meeting his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday to discuss NATO's collective security and bilateral issues.
"Later, the President will meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey to discuss the Alliance’s collective defense and security and a range of issues important to the bilateral relationship," the White House said on Tuesday.
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