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Poland to ratify NATO expansion by end of summer: gov't spokesman

06.07.2022 09:00
Poland will ratify the expansion of NATO to include Finland and Sweden by the end of the summer, government spokesman Piotr Müller has said.
Polish government spokesman Piotr Mller
Polish government spokesman Piotr MüllerPhoto: PAP/Paweł Supernak

NATO's 30 allies on Tuesday signed accession protocols for Finland and Sweden to join the Western military alliance, a move that still needs to be ratified by member state parliaments.

Müller told reporters during the day that Polish lawmakers were expected to swiftly pass legislation to enable the president to ratify the accession protocols for the two Nordic countries.

"I think the process should be completed this summer," Müller said. "We still have several more parliamentary sessions ahead of us before the summer break. And we were from the very beginning determined to make this decision as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Iceland have already ratified Finland and Sweden's NATO entry in an accelerated process, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

According to the Reuters news agency, members of Canada's House of Commons unanimously expressed their support for Finland and Sweden in a vote earlier in June before the chamber closed for a summer break.

"Canada has full confidence in Finland and Sweden's ability to integrate quickly and effectively into NATO and contribute to the alliance's collective defense," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in statement.

Poland’s President Andrzej Duda said last month that NATO’s invitation for Finland and Sweden to join the alliance was “a historic decision.”

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki declared in May that Poland would come to the aid of Finland and Sweden if the two countries were attacked by Russia before securing NATO membership.

Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau said in Helsinki last week that Finland’s accession to NATO would strengthen the alliance and significantly increase security in the Baltic Sea region. 

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP, Reuters