Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register OTTAWA, July 5 (Reuters) – Canada became the first country to formally ratify the membership of Finland and Sweden in NATO in a fast-track process that ended shortly after member states signed on to expand the nuclear-armed alliance on Tuesday . The accession protocol must be ratified by the parliaments of all 30 North Atlantic Treaty Organization members before Finland and Sweden are protected by NATO’s defense clause – that an attack on one member is an attack on all. read more Members of Canada’s House of Commons had unanimously expressed their support for Finland and Sweden in a vote earlier in June before the chamber closed for summer recess. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Before using an administrative process to approve their entry on Tuesday, Secretary of State Melanie Jolie spoke with opposition lawmakers to make sure they agreed, the minister’s spokesman said. “We wanted to be the first country to ratify,” the Joly spokesman said. Signing the protocol still allows Helsinki and Stockholm to participate in NATO meetings and have greater access to information pending ratification. “Canada has full confidence in the ability of Finland and Sweden to integrate quickly and effectively into NATO and contribute to the alliance’s collective defense,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Reporting by Ismail Shakil and Steve Scherer in Ottawa. Edited by Bill Berkrot Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
