Nordic pair apply to Nato

Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday that Finland and Sweden have officially applied to join the world’s biggest military alliance, a move driven by security concerns over Russia’s war in Ukraine. ‘‘I warmly welcome the requests by Finland and Sweden to join Nato. You are our closest partners,’’ Stoltenberg said. ‘‘This is a good day at a critical moment for our security.’’ The application must now be weighed by the 30 member countries. That process is expected to take about two weeks, although Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed reservations about Finland and Sweden joining.