The government submitted the NATO Accession Protocols for Finland and Sweden to the Riigikogu for ratification

Prime Minister Kaja Kallas expressed hope that the ratification process in Estonia would be one of the speediest. “I assured my Finnish and Swedish colleagues already in spring that Finland and Sweden have no better friend in NATO than Estonia. We welcome their accession to NATO with open arms and will take all the necessary steps as quickly as possible. Estonia’s Permanent Representative to NATO, Ambassador Jüri Luik, just signed the protocols with 29 other Allies in Brussels, and we held an extraordinary government meeting immediately afterwards. We proposed to the Riigikogu that they convene already tomorrow to discuss the ratification,” Kallas noted.

Prime Minister said that this marks a historic turning point. “Soon, the whole Nordic and Baltic region will belong to NATO. This strengthens the defence of our entire region as well as the Alliance as whole. Just half a year ago Russia was issuing ultimatums demanding that NATO close its door to new members, but NATO is more united than ever and will be even stronger soon when it will hopefully grow by two capable Allies,” Kallas said.

Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership on 18 May 2022. NATO heads of state decided at last week’s Madrid Summit to invite Finland and Sweden to join NATO. Today, on 5 July, the accession protocols were signed in Brussels. For Finland and Sweden to join the Alliance, all Allies must approve the protocols according to their respective legal procedures. In Estonia, protocols must be ratified by the Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu.