Czech lower house approves Finland's NATO accession

The Czech Republic's lower house of parliament approved Finland and Sweden's bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), it announced on Saturday, reported Xinhua.

The Chamber of Deputies is the second of the country's two parliamentary bodies to give its approval, following the Senate's decision.

The reification will be completed through signing by the country's president.

Earlier, 23 countries out of total 30 ratified the NATO accession protocols for Finland and Sweden.

The countries are USA, Italy, Canada, Estonia, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, United Kingdom, Albania, Poland, Latvia, Slovenia, Croatia, The Netherlands, Luxemburg, Bulgaria, Germany, Romania, Lithuania, Montenegro, Belgium, North Macedonia and France.

Finland´s accession protocol needs to be ratified by all the NATO member countries, although some questions from Turkey still remain in this regard.

On August 26, Finnish, Swedish and Turkish representatives met at Königstedt Manor in Vantaa, Finland with the view to overcome Turkish barrier on way to Finland, Sweden´s NATO accession.

The Foreign Ministers of Finland, Sweden and Turkey on June 28 signed a trilateral memorandum which confirms that Turkey will support the Finland´s and Sweden´s NATO membership applications.

Turkey initially blocked the Finland, Sweden´s membership bids accusing the Nordic countries of harboring anti-Turkey terrorist groups Workers' Party (PKK) and the Gulen movement.

On July 5, NATO Ambassadors signed the Accession Protocols for Finland and Sweden at NATO Headquarters in Brussels.