NATO chief: membership for Finland, Sweden ‘top priority’

By JARI TANNER
Associated Press

HELSINKI (AP) — NATO’s secretary-general says membership for Finland and Sweden is “a top priority” for the military alliance and is urging members Turkey and Hungary which haven’t yet ratified the Nordic countries’ accession to do so urgently. Jens Stoltenberg told a news conference with the Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin in Helsinki Tuesday that progress is being made in securing membership for both countries. Stoltenberg said he’s “absolutely confident” that both Finland and Sweden will become NATO members. He added that both countries fully meet NATO’s entry criteria and “have delivered on what they were supposed to do” after applying to join the alliance in May.