– Historic, according to both Stoltenberg and the Swedish Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson.
Crown Princess Victoria represents official Sweden together with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, at the flag ceremony.
It is Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who, on behalf of NATO, welcomes the Swedes and formally declares Sweden a member of the defense alliance.
– Sweden takes its deserved place among 32 allies, said Stoltenberg on Monday morning.
On Thursday afternoon, all formalities were in place.
On Monday, Kristersson took all party leaders from the Swedish Riksdag to Brussels and to the flag-raising ceremony, which took place while a military orchestra played the national anthem “Du Gamla, Du Fria, og Nato’s anthem.
At the same time, the Swedish flag is raised outside all other NATO bases in the entire alliance.
OFFICIAL: Sweden is welcomed by Jens Stoltenberg at NATO headquarters. Photo: Yves Herman / Reuters / NTB
NATO’s Norwegian chief, Jens Stoltenberg, welcomed Sweden as member country number 32 in the alliance:
– This is a historic day. We will raise the flag to welcome Sweden as the 32nd member country of NATO. Sweden has long been a partner, now you are an ally, said Stoltenberg.
Now the principle “one for all, all for one” also applies to the Swedes, emphasized the NATO chief.
Kristersson: – Proud member
Sweden has large military capacities which it contributes to NATO. Sweden also spends more than two percent of its GDP on defence, the NATO chief elaborated.
– Putin wanted a smaller NATO. Now he gets a bigger one. He made a big mistake. We must show Putin that he cannot get his way on the battlefield, but must sit down at the negotiating table, Stoltenberg said.
Sweden’s Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, is delighted:
– Sweden is now part of NATO, a proud member together with our closest friends and partners.
Photo: Henrik Montgomery/TT / TT Nyhetsbyrån / NTB
He thanked Stoltenberg for his support, and said that Sweden would not have been a member if it had not been for the Norwegian Secretary-General.
– We are humble, but we are also proud. We have high expectations of ourselves in NATO. Unity and solidarity will be Sweden’s motto in NATO. We get security, but we also want to give security to the alliance, Kristersson said.
The Swedish Prime Minister said they have been preparing for this for a long time.
– Our country has long been a champion of freedom and democracy. When our flag is raised here, we are part of a larger alliance that defends these rights.
No threat to NATO countries
Stoltenberg said that this is also a big day for him as a Norwegian.
– When I started in NATO in 2014, I knew that someone would apply for membership in NATO, but I did not expect that Sweden and Finland would join during my time as Secretary General. When they decided to apply, with great support in their population. they also received broad support in NATO.
Photo: Yves Herman / Reuters / NTB
– We see no immediate military threat to any NATO member state now.
At the same time, the Norwegian Secretary-General says that this is not only a big day for Sweden, but also for the Nordic region:
– It is the first time since the Kalmar Union in the 15th century that we are in alliance with each other, he said in Norwegian – after answering the press in English.
Does not allow nuclear weapons
Kristersson confirmed that there are no plans for foreign NATO troops on Swedish soil, nor the deployment of nuclear weapons in Sweden. This is a Swedish decision, he says.
Norway has taken the same reservation in the past.
According to Stoltenberg, it is entirely up to each individual member state to decide whether they want to accept permanent military forces from other NATO countries, and confirms that there are no such plans for Sweden.
Photo: OLIVIER MATTHYS / EPA / NTB
– This is a day of joy, said Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide (Ap) to VG on Thursday afternoon.
He followed up:
– That means an enormous amount. The relationship with Sweden is of course good, but it is clear that when they become an ally, it removes all the last obstacles to the Nordics also being able to have full-scale defense cooperation.
As of Thursday last week, Sweden was covered by NATO’s defense guarantee, stating that an attack on Sweden is considered an attack on the entire alliance.
Hungary was the last country to withdraw from the Swedish application for membership.
On Thursday, US President Joe Biden confirmed that Sweden became a member on 7 March.
– Sweden is a strong democracy with a highly capable military that shares our values and visions for the world, the White House wrote in a press release.
2024-03-11 10:30:14
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