NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says Finland will formally join the alliance within days following Turkey's decision to ratify its accession.
Stoltenberg added that "with the ratification of the accession protocol by the thirty NATO countries... Finland will formally join our alliance in the coming days."
Finland and Sweden asked to join NATO after Russia's war with Ukraine, but Turkey and Hungary had to agree to this accession, as the Turkish parliament approved on Thursday the protocol of Finland's accession after Hungary agreed before it, while Ankara is still demanding Sweden some commitments to approve its accession as well.
Helsinki celebrated the Turkish parliament's decision, and the Finnish Foreign Ministry later posted a thank you letter in Turkish on Twitter after the Turkish parliament approved the protocol.
Stoltenberg described Finland's accession as "the fastest in the modern history of the alliance" and hoped Sweden would be received as a member of the alliance "as soon as possible".
"I look forward to raising the Finnish flag at NATO headquarters in the coming days," Stoltenberg tweeted ahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers on April 4 and 5 in Brussels.
"I hope to receive Sweden as a full member of NATO as soon as possible."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is still supposed to endorse the Turkish parliament's approval of Finland's accession, but everything is ready at NATO headquarters to raise the Finnish flag alongside those of the remaining 30 NATO members.
"Finland will formally join our alliance in the coming days. "Its accession will make Finland safer and NATO stronger."
"Finland has very competent forces, advanced capabilities and strong democratic institutions. So it will do a lot for our alliance."