It’s time for Sweden and Finland to be accepted into NATO, the deputy general secretary of the North Atlantic Alliance, Mircea Geoană, said on Monday at a security conference in Oslo, according to Reuters, Agerpres reads.

He added that it is „inconceivable” that NATO would not act if the security of the two Nordic countries was threatened. During the same conference, the Finnish Minister of Defense, Mikko Savola, reiterated that it is important that Finland and Sweden join NATO together.

The statements were made during the 58th Leangkollen Security Conference in Oslo, Norway.

The theme of this year’s conference is „democracy against autocracy in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine”.

Sweden and Finland last week reaffirmed their commitment to continue the NATO accession process together, although Turkey maintains its veto in the case of Stockholm.

Turkey has recently become more radical against Sweden’s NATO membership after a pro-Kurdish group symbolically „executed” a dummy of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Stockholm and a far-right member burned a copy of the Koran in the Swedish capital.

Still trying to convince Ankara to lift its veto, the government in Stockholm announced on Thursday a project to tighten anti-terrorist legislation, which equates financial or other support to terrorist organizations with crimes.

Sweden and Finland want to join NATO as a result of Russia’s war against Ukraine. All thirty NATO member states must give their approval. Turkey and Hungary have not yet given their consent.

Agerpres