PHOTO
President of Finland Sauli Niinisto, Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson and Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Store, meet for a security summit between the three nordic countries at Harpsund Mansion in Flen, Sweden, February 22, 2023. TT News Agency/Claudio Bresciani via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. SWEDEN OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN SWEDEN.
STOCKHOLM - Finland and Sweden are proceeding "hand-in-hand" towards NATO membership, Finnish president Sauli Niinisto said on Wednesday, but added that Turkey controlled the decision to ratify the applications for the two Nordic countries.
"We proceed hand in hand in terms of the things that are in our own hands," Niinisto told a joint news conference with the Swedish and Norwegian prime ministers, but added:
"Ratification is not in our hands."
Sweden and Finland applied last year to join NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine but Turkey is digging its heels in over Sweden's application.
(Reporting by Johan Ahlander and Simon Johnson; editing by Niklas Pollard)
