Path smoothed for NATO newcomers

Signing of accession protocol takes Nordic pair closer to membership

Finland and Sweden moved a step closer to joining NATO on Tuesday after the military alliance's 30 member states agreed to an accession protocol for them in Brussels.

The move came after representatives of the member states gave their endorsement at last week's NATO summit in Madrid following an agreement between the two countries and Turkey, which had earlier voiced its strong objections by citing the Nordic countries' support for terrorist groups such as the Kurdish Workers' Party.

With Tuesday's signing of the protocol in the Belgian capital, it will now be up to the parliaments of all NATO member states to ratify the agreement before the two countries become formal members, a process that is expected to take several months or up to a year.