Finland, Sweden to submit NATO bids on Wednesday

Finland and Sweden will jointly submit their applications for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday.

The announcement was made by President Sauli Niinistö and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson from a joint press conference in Stockholm on Tuesday.

Niinistö said that Russia's attack on Ukraine at the end of February prompted both Finland and Sweden to start working towards joining NATO.

Submitting joint applications with Finland "means that we can contribute to security in northern Europe," Andersson said.

Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto on Tuesday signed the letter informing the NATO about his country's interest in engaging in accession talks, reported Xinhua.

Earlier, the Parliament had endorsed the plan in a vote of 188 in favor and eight against on Tuesday.

In the afternoon, President Sauli Niinistö decided, on the proposal by the cabinet of Prime Minister Sanna Marin, that the notification could be sent.

Niinistö attended the government session online from Stockholm, Sweden, where he and First Landy Jenni Haukio, are on a state visit.

The letter on Finland's intention to join the military alliance is expected to be delivered on Wednesday by the country's ambassador to NATO, Klaus Korhonen. He told Finland's national radio Yle that he hoped the letters from his country and Sweden could be delivered simultaneously.

The accession talks with NATO will cover political, legal, resource, information security, and defense and military issues, said a government press release.

The government also appointed the Finnish delegation for the talks with NATO and its member countries.

Foreign Minister Haavisto will lead the delegation, with Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen as an alternate.

Finnish officials expect the ratification by all 30 NATO member countries to be completed in four to 12 months.

Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde signed the country's NATO membership application on Tuesday morning.