– At the last meeting, we wished Finland welcome. Now we are waiting for Sweden, and are happy that Sweden is present, said Huitfeldt when she opened the NATO summit on Wednesday afternoon. – Sweden must become a full NATO member as soon as possible, and before the summit in Vilnius in July. With the Nordic region united in NATO, the alliance will be even stronger. Furthermore, she said that the most important topic at the “informal” meeting in Oslo is the war in Ukraine, and increased support for the Ukrainian military. – The war in Ukraine has shed light on how important it is for NATO to stay together, Huitfeldt told the assembly on Wednesday afternoon, and said that the main focus of the discussions is the continued support for the country. – First of all, I believe that we must strengthen our support both humanitarian and military in order to help Ukraine defend itself. When it comes to Ukrainian NATO membership, it requires a joint position from all NATO countries, something that will be discussed further at the summit in Vilnius in July, she maintains. Huitfeldt says one of Norway’s main tasks at the moment is to keep the energy supply going to the rest of Europe. In this context, she says that securing Norwegian gas pipelines on the seabed is particularly important. Huitfeldt also commented on the attack on NATO-backed soldiers in Kosovo at the start of the week, something she said would be a priority at the summit in Vilnius. – We largely support the decision to send additional NATO personnel to the area. We ask that someone de-escalate the situation and hold talks. First day Until Thursday evening, almost all the foreign ministers in NATO have gathered for talks in Oslo. The war in Ukraine and the attack on NATO-backed soldiers in Kosovo this week will both be important topics on the agenda. And even if the meeting is described as informal, some of the guests may come to sign important agreements. At 16.30 the ministers will be received by the king at the Palace, and at 17.45 there will be a ceremony at the memorial for 22 July in the center of Oslo. The day ends with a dinner at Akershus fortress. Huitfeldt told news on Wednesday morning that stepping up aid to Ukraine is her first priority when she is the hostess this week. On this podium, Huitfeldt will gather all the NATO foreign ministers who are present. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB – Norway has given a five-year package, and there are many countries that are looking after it, so that the Ukrainians know that we stand by their side over time. – Then it is also to show that the allies are united in the face of such a security policy threat as we are now seeing from Russia. The meeting warms up to the formal summit in Vilnius, which will take place on 11 and 12 July. NATO’s 31 member states From its formation in 1949: Belgium Canada Denmark France Iceland Italy Luxembourg Netherlands Norway Portugal Great Britain USA From 1952: From 1955: West Germany From 1990 Germany after East Germany and West Germany were reunited From 1982: From 1999: From 2004 : Bulgaria Estonia Latvia Lithuania Romania Slovakia Slovenia From 2009: From 2017: From 2020: From 2023: Sweden and Turkey in NATO talks NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that he hopes Sweden gets its application for membership approved before the Vilnius meeting ends the stack. Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership together last year, just a few months after Russia invaded Ukraine. But last month, Finland became a member on its own. The neighboring country still needs approval from both Turkey and Hungary to be able to follow suit. Security measures in the center of Oslo have been tightened ahead of the foreign minister’s meeting. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB Representatives from Sweden and Turkey will meet in Oslo this week to discuss the possibilities for membership, reports SVT. It is not immediately clear whether the Swedes will obtain the approvals they need in time. A possible NATO membership for Ukraine has also been a point of discussion recently. Stoltenberg has been clear that it will happen one day, but not in the near future. – I think everyone realizes that it is not appropriate to become a member while there is a war going on. The question is what happens after the war is over, he said at an event in Brussels last week. Oslo City Hall is framed by a blue fence in connection with the event. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB
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Host Anniken Huitfeldt opens the NATO meeting in Oslo – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
