Finland’s parliament today overwhelmingly supported the country’s decision to join NATO, its speaker said.

The approval of the treaties of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the accession of Finland was adopted by 184 votes in favor out of 200 deputies.

In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Finland applied for NATO membership last May, still relying solely on its own military to protect its 1,300-kilometer border with Russia.

The entry of new members into NATO must be approved by the existing members of the Western military alliance, and support for the Finnish bid is still pending, as it has not been finally approved by Turkey and Hungary.

By approving NATO’s founding documents, Finland could outpace neighboring Sweden, which has also applied to join but has its own bid blocked by Turkey.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country is ready to accept Finland into NATO, but accuses Sweden of harboring people whom Ankara considers members of “terrorist organizations.”

Sweden is also awaiting approval of its application from Hungary, whose parliament has started ratification today and could vote later this month.

Source: APE-MPE, Reuters.