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Informal discussion to advance negotiations on Sweden’s NATO accession on the sidelines of the EPC Summit

Participants:Sweden, Turkey
Topic:Security & Peace
Summit:1st summit - Czechia
Date:6 October 2022
Type:Verbal declaration
Pre-existing arrangement:Yes

A brief meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson discussed the prospects of Sweden’s accession to NATO, blocked by Turkey. The parties agreed to continue following the trilateral memorandum signed between Finland, Sweden, and Turkey in June 2022. 

Follow-up

25/11/2022

A second meeting of representatives of Turkey, Sweden, and Finland took place within the Trilateral Memorandum framework on 25 November 2022. The sides agreed to continue working further on implementing the memorandum. 

9/03/2023

NATO convened representatives of Turkey, Sweden, and Finland to discuss the prospects of Finland and Sweden joining the NATO on 9 March 2023. No clear commitments were made there beyond the formal invitation extended at the Madrid NATO Summit in June 2022.

4/04/2023

Finland joined NATO as an Ally on 4 April 2023.

1/06/2023

New anti-terrorism legislation is coming into force in Sweden. It criminalises participation in or cooperation with a terrorist organization up to four years in prison. This law was adopted in the context of Sweden’s NATO accession negotiations with Turkey.   

10/07/2023

On 10 July 2023, President of Turkey, Prime Minister of Sweden, and the NATO Secretary General met at the NATO Summit in Vilnius. The sides agreed to continue a cooperation under the trilateral Permanent Joint Mechanism established at the Madrid NATO Summit 2022. Most importantly both Sweden and Turkey agreed that counter-terrorism cooperation is a long-term effort, which should continue beyond Sweden’s accession to NATO. This progress facilitated Turkey’s agreement to transmit the NATO Accession Protocol for Sweden to the Grand National Assembly and ensure its ratification.

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