Finland wants to join NATO at the same time as Sweden, despite Turkey blocking Sweden’s candidacy, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said today.

Finland has clearly expressed this desire to Turkey and Hungary, he said, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, referring to the two NATO member states that have not yet ratified the accession of the two countries to the organization.

“We sent a very clear message to Turkey and Hungary, who also have not yet ratified (our request), that we want to join NATO together, and this is in the interests of the whole world,” Marin said.

“We want to join NATO together with Sweden at the same time, and this is not only because we are good neighbors and partners, but also on very specific issues of NATO security planning in the entire North,” the Finnish Prime Minister emphasized.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hinted in early February that the Turkish parliament could ratify Finland’s NATO membership without Sweden’s, while the two countries filed a joint request.

Source: APE-ME, AFP, REUTERS.