The Albanian Parliament has voted in favor of the protocols approving Finland and Sweden’s application to join NATO.
NATO requires the unanimous vote of all its current members before it accepts an application for new membership. The legislative branch of each country must approve the protocols, as well as the parliaments of the applicant countries.
Finland and Sweden submitted their application to join the Alliance in May, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, thus ending decades of neutrality.
The two countries faced considerable opposition by Turkey that alleged that Sweden and Finland have lent their support to entities that threaten the security of Turkey, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.
Following several weeks of negotiations, the three countries reached a deal to address Turkey’s security concerns and lift restrictions on arms sales.
With Finland and Sweden joining, NATO membership is up to 32.
