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Finland and Sweden applied to join NATO last month in response
to Russia's invasion of Ukraine but face opposition from Turkey,
which accuses them of supporting and harbouring Kurdish
militants and other groups it deems terrorists.
"We are confident that Sweden and Finland will join our ranks,"
Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoana said. "Allies have
concerns. And Turkey has some concerns that are legitimate when
it comes to terrorists," he added.
Sweden and Finland have said they condemn terrorism and are open
to dialogue.
Asked about security guarantees provided to Sweden and Finland
in the period up until they become full-fledged members of NATO,
Geoana said he did not see any real risk to the countries from
Russia.
"We don't see signs from Russia of having the capabilities or
intention at this point to be aggressive in military terms
against these two aspirant countries," he said.
"We can treat this period with caution in a proactive way, but
we don't see real risks from a traditional military standpoint
for Finland and Sweden."
Finland said on Thursday it plans to amend border legislation to
allow the building of barriers on its eastern frontier with
Russia in a move to strengthen preparedness against hybrid
threats.
(Reporting by Nikolaj SkydsgaardEditing by Mark Heinrich)
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