Stoltenberg-Talks Between Turkey, Sweden & Finland To Resume In March

Speaking to Reuters TV, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that "I see progress" in the stalled accession talks for Sweden and Finland to join the alliance, adding that his aim is to see both as full members by the 11-12 July NATO summit in Lithuania. He said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had agreed that representatives from his gov't and those of the two Nordic nations would meet at NATO HQ in Brussels in March "to address the challenges we face when it comes to Turkish ratification of the Swedish accession protocol".

• Stoltenberg stressed that both Sweden and Finland remained safe from Russian attack despite not being full NATO members, saying "As part of the accession process, several NATO allies, including the United States, have issued bilateral security assurances. So it's inconceivable that Finland or Sweden will face any military threats from Russia without NATO reacting."
• The Turkish gov't is dealing with the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes that struck the country earlier this month, as well as the upcoming general election (due by 18 June), meaning that seeking a resolution with Sweden over the extradition of Kurdish dissidents is unlikely to be a top priority.