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Bloomberg
Representatives from Turkey, Finland and Sweden met on Friday and agreed on further talks as the Nordic countries seek to convince Turkey to ratify their applications to join defense alliance Nato.
The meeting of officials took place in Vantaa, Finland, on Friday, the Finnish government said in an emailed statement. Turkey remains one of seven members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that have yet to ratify the Nordics’ entry to the bloc, after it has expressed concern over the Nordic countries’ approach to what it views as terrorists. 23 countries, including the US, have already completed the formal procedure to welcome Finland and Sweden to the alliance.
Finland and Sweden asked to enter the bloc in May, seeking a deterrent against Russian aggression after its attack on Ukraine in February. A deal struck in Madrid in June allowed the application process to move forward despite initial opposition from Turkey, which remains the only country to voice concerns.