Helsinki. November 1st. INTERFAX - Finland and Sweden intend to resolve nuclear issues only when they become NATO members, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin and her Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson said at a meeting of Nordic prime ministers in Helsinki on Tuesday.
According to them, according to the Yle portal, "countries do not set preconditions related to nuclear weapons when joining NATO. Issues related to the deployment of nuclear weapons will be resolved only when the countries become members of the alliance."
Marin also stressed that Finland "does not want to close the doors when joining NATO."
As Kristersson said, "Finland and Sweden have exactly the same attitude to the issue of nuclear weapons as future NATO members. Finland and I go hand in hand."
A similar opinion was expressed by Finnish President Sauli Niinisto.
"It is a very remote idea that Finland will ask or NATO will offer to place nuclear weapons here... Everyone should remember that the use of nuclear weapons is the universal end," Niinisto said.
The President also assured that Finland's accession process is progressing at a historically rapid pace, and expressed confidence that the ratification by Hungary and Turkey will also take place.
"We started to follow this path together with Sweden, and together we will continue," Niinisto assured.
Kristersson expressed his conviction that "Finland and Sweden's membership in NATO will be ratified by all member states."