NATO Command has officially announced that the process of Sweden’s military integration into the alliance will be completed by the end of April this year.
The move appears to be important for strengthening transatlantic security and co-operation in the region, according to a NATO statement on website X. The statement read:
“Sweden joining NATO boosts transatlantic security, enhances Allied ability to reinforce Baltic Allies, and enhances the defensive posture in the High North. The formal military integration of Sweden into NATO will be completed in the end of April.”
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom confirmed the information by reposting the NATO post on social media.
On 7 March 2024, Sweden officially became the 32nd member of the Alliance. While Finland became NATO’s 31st member without major obstacles, Sweden’s bid to join the bloc was for months obstructed by Turkey and Hungary.
Turkey’s parliament voted in January to approve Sweden’s bid after months of tensions between the two nations, sparked primarily by a spate of Quran-burning protests in Sweden that enraged Turkish lawmakers. NATO’s next annual summit will be held in July in Washington, DC, and will mark the alliance’s 75th anniversary.
