Romania supports accession of Sweden, Finland to NATO: Foreign Minister

Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu affirmed that Romania stands ready to support the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO and expects that the Nordic states will make a considerable contribution to bolstering NATO's Eastern flank, Romanian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

"The head of Romanian diplomacy appreciated the high level of public support at this time for joining the Alliance in the two states and said that Romania is ready to support a rapid process of accession of Finland and Sweden," the foreign ministry said in a statement following Aurescu's participation in the first day of the Informal Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs held in Berlin on May 14-15.

The foreign minister noted that Romania is a long-standing supporter of NATO's "open door policy" and stressed the importance of unity and solidarity within the alliance in the light of Russia's military operation in Ukraine and Turkish objections to the potential membership of Sweden and Finland over their "hospitality" toward Kurdish asylum seekers.

In March, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance will fast-track the membership applications of Finland and Sweden if they decide to join. On Thursday, both Finland and Sweden officially confirmed their plans to join NATO. The United States and Germany have already pledged support to the Nordic states if they choose to apply for membership in the alliance.