By Oluwaseun Sonde
Canada's Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau has said that Canada strongly support Finland and Sweden's application to join NATO alliance and welcomed their close partnership with Alliance and their valuable contributions to transatlantic security.
In a statement issued by the Prime Minister over NATO's officially invitation to Finland Sweden Sweden to join the alliance, he also said as a close friend and security partner, Canada will support Finland and Sweden through the accession process, including against threats to their security.
Finland and Sweden received a formal invitation to join the organisation on Wednesday, which will then require further steps like domestic ratification, others as Canada's PM emphasized the need for all NATO members to move swiftly to complete their NATO membership to limit opportunities for interference by adversaries.
According to him, "At home, Canada has taken quick action to accelerate this process and we will continue to work as quickly as possible to make this a reality. House of Commons has also voted unanimously in favour of Finland and Sweden joining the Alliance.
“Canada has full confidence in Finland and Sweden’s ability to integrate quickly and effectively into NATO and contribute to the Alliance’s collective defence. Their membership will make NATO stronger", Trudeau said.
He added that Canada remains a champion of NATO’s Open Door Policy for any European country in a position to advance commitments and obligations of membership, such as protecting democracy, and contribute to the collective defence of the Alliance.
Meanwhile, NATO invited Sweden and Finland on Wednesday to join the military alliance in one of the biggest shifts in European security in decades after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed Helsinki, Stockholm to drop their traditional neutrality.
NATO’s 30 allies took the decision at their summit in Madrid and also agreed to formally treat Russia as the “most significant and direct threat to the allies’ security,” according to a summit statement.
“Today, we have decided to invite Finland and Sweden to become members of NATO,” NATO leaders said in their declaration, after Turkey lifted a veto on Finland and Sweden joining. As 30 NATO members agreed to invite the two nations to join the alliance, which is allowing months long ratification process to begin.
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