President okays bills to allow Finland, Sweden into Nato
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Loading... - Lille Bain
- 25 Jul 2022
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Andrzej Duda, the Polish president, has signed into law draft legislation that authorises him to ratify Finland's and Sweden's Nato accession.
The two Nordic countries forsook their decades-long neutrality after Russia invaded Ukraine, sparking a conventional military conflict that Europe had not seen since World War Two.
The Polish president signed the bills in the Polish Navy seaport in Gdynia on the Baltic coast on Friday. The lower house of parliament, the Sejm, passed the legislation on July 7, and on Wednesday the bills were approved by the Senate, the upper house.
"It is a very important day not only for Nato, not only for our part of Europe, for the Baltic Sea basin and the security of this part of the world," Duda said. "It is also a very important day... for future generations of Poles and those who will live and build their day-to-day lives and their happiness in this part of Europe and the world."
When the new legislation enters into force, the president will be able ratify a protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the accession of the two candidate members.
Finland and Sweden applied for Nato membership in mid-May. Today they have the status of invited countries and can take part in Nato meetings, but do not have voting rights. All 30 current members of the bloc must agree to accept the two Nordic countries into the alliance. Read More...
