Niinistö, Andersson, Erdogan to discuss Finland, Sweden´s NATO bids

President Sauli Niinistö, his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson will hold a meeting in Madrid on Tuesday to discuss Finland and Sweden´s NATO membership applications and Turkish demands.

The meeting will be held during the NATO summit beginning in Madrid in Tuesday, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at a press conference on the eve of the summit on Monday.

Stoltenberg also aimed to make progress on Finland and Sweden’s applications for NATO membership.

“I spoke with President Erdogan on Saturday and will meet with Prime Minister Andersson later today (Monday),” he said.

“I am glad that President Erdogan, President Niinistö, and Prime Minister Andersson have accepted my invitation to meet in Madrid tomorrow (Tuesday),” said the NATO Secretary General, adding that another meeting of senior officials from all three countries is scheduled to be held at NATO Headquarters on Monday.

Meanwhile, President Sauli Niinistö held a meeting with United States Senate NATO Observer Group Senators in Helsinki on Monday and discussed Finland´s membership application to the military alliance.

The bipartisan delegation included Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Chris Coons, Joni Ernst, Deb Fischer and Roy Blunt.

“Good meeting with US Senate NATO Observer Group Senators in Mäntyniemi today ahead of the NATO Summit. Thank you,” Niinistö wrote in a twitter post after the meeting.

Turkey remains negative on Finland, Sweden's NATO membership bids and raised various demands in exchange of supporting the bids.