Finland and Sweden's Nato membership talks should have been dealt with more quickly because the two countries "tick all the boxes", Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Tuesday.
Ms Marin said both nations were "fully prepared" to become Nato members.
They have been in limbo for months while they await approval from Turkey and Hungary, the last two Nato allies yet to have their say.
Turkey's support is proving especially difficult to win as it demands extraditions of terror suspects and a tougher line on Kurdish militants.
Ms Marin said Finland had met these conditions and that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had indicated he was more satisfied with Finland than Sweden.
But she said the two countries should join simultaneously. They applied last May after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"Hopefully the ratification process will go as fast as possible," Ms Marin said at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
"I think the process should have been faster. We both tick all the boxes when it comes to Nato, we are fully prepared to become Nato members and there shouldn't be any obstacles in the way.
"Hungary have said that they will ratify as soon as their parliamentary period starts, hopefully very soon. Turkey, that’s another matter."
The two applicants signed an agreement last year promising to meet Turkish demands on extraditions, arms exports and counter-terrorism.
But Turkey has said it wants to see results before it lifts its veto. Sweden last week said Turkey had introduced new demands which it could not meet.
Ukraine also aspires to Nato membership but senior alliance figures see that as a question for another day while the war with Russia rages on.
"If a country is in the middle of war it cannot become a member of Nato," Ms Marin said.
However, she said if Ukraine had been admitted to Nato earlier, "there wouldn't be a war now in Ukraine".
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Five personal finance podcasts from The National
To help you get started, tune into these Pocketful of Dirham episodes
·
Balance is essential to happiness, health and wealth
·
What is a portfolio stress test?
·
What are NFTs and why are auction houses interested?
·
How gamers are getting rich by earning cryptocurrencies
·
Should you buy or rent a home in the UAE?
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE rugby in numbers
5 - Year sponsorship deal between Hesco and Jebel Ali Dragons
700 - Dubai Hurricanes had more than 700 playing members last season between their mini and youth, men's and women's teams
Dh600,000 - Dubai Exiles' budget for pitch and court hire next season, for their rugby, netball and cricket teams
Dh1.8m - Dubai Hurricanes' overall budget for next season
Dh2.8m - Dubai Exiles’ overall budget for next season
Crazy Rich Asians
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan
Four stars
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
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Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
