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Sweden implements all liabilities, ready for joining NATO – NATO chief

According to Jens Stoltenberg, he agreed with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the next meeting of the Permanent Joint Mechanism with Sweden will be held on June 12

ANKARA, June 4. /TASS/. Sweden has implemented Turkey’s demands under the trilateral memorandum and has the right to join NATO, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Sunday after talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"Sweden has taken significant concrete steps to meet Turkey’s concerns. This includes amending the Swedish constitution, ending its arms embargo and stepping up counter-terrorism cooperation, including against PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party - TASS)," he said. "An important new terrorism legislation has come into force just a few days ago. So, Sweden has fulfilled its obligations."

He also said that the next meeting of the Permanent Joint Mechanism with Sweden will be held on June 12. In his words, Turkey has time to ratify Sweden’s application by the NATO summit in Vilnius.

Turkey continues to block Sweden’s bid for NATO membership demanding extradition of Kurdish activists accused of terrorism in Turkey. Meanwhile, Stockholm insists that it has fulfilled all Ankara’s demands and the issue of the extradition of concrete individuals is in the competence of a Swedish court, not the government.

Tags

NATO Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan Sweden

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