Turkiye agreed on Monday to clear the way for Sweden’s accession to NATO and Sweden vowed full support to Turkiye’s bid to join the EU, a according to a tripartite statement.
“Given the imperatives of the deterrence and defence of the Euro- Atlantic area, Turkiye will transmit the Accession Protocol for Sweden to the Grand National Assembly, and work closely with the Assembly to ensure ratification,” reads the statement issued following a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met at the NATO Summit in Vilnius.
The statement noted that Sweden and Turkiye have worked closely together to address Turkiye’s legitimate security concerns.
As part of that process, Sweden has amended its constitution, changed its laws, significantly expanded its counter- terrorism cooperation against the PKK, and resumed arms exports to Turkiye, all steps set out in the Trilateral Memorandum agreed in 2022.
It added that Sweden and Turkiye agreed to continue their cooperation under both the Trilateral Permanent Joint Mechanism established at the Madrid NATO Summit 2022, and under a new bilateral Security Compact that will meet annually at ministerial level and create working groups as appropriate.
At the first meeting of this Security Compact, Sweden will present a roadmap as the basis of its continued fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations towards the full implementation of all elements of the Trilateral Memorandum, including article 4. Sweden reiterates that it will not provide support to YPG/PYD, and the organisation described as FET? in Turkiye.
“Both Sweden and Turkiye agreed that counter-terrorism cooperation is a long-term effort, which will continue beyond Sweden’s accession to NATO. Secretary General Stoltenberg also reconfirmed that NATO categorically condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, “NATO will be significantly stepping up its work in this area, including by the Secretary General establishing, for the first time at NATO, the post of Special Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism,” reads the statement.
They renewed commitment to the principle that there should be no restrictions, barriers or sanctions to defence trade and investment among Allies and that they will work towards eliminating such obstacles.
“Sweden and Turkiye have also agreed to step up economic cooperation, through the Turkiye-Sweden Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO). Both Turkiye and Sweden will look to maximise opportunities to increase bilateral trade and investments.
“Sweden will actively support efforts to reinvigorate Turkiye’s EU accession process, including modernisation of the EU-Turkiye Customs Union and visa liberalisation,” it concluded.
Source: Kuwait News Agency