Madrid summit: Finland and Sweden leaders to discuss NATO bid with Erdogan
June 27, 2022, 7:39 pm

Madrid summit: Finland and Sweden leaders to discuss NATO bid with Erdogan

Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson (R) and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto attend a press conference in Stockholm, Sweden, on May 17, 2022.

Finnish and Swedish leaders will discuss their stalled NATO bids with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday (June 28) at the start of an alliance summit in Madrid, Helsinki said on Monday (June 27).

Turkey said the four-way meeting, which will also involve NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, did not mean that Ankara was close to lifting its objection to the two Nordic countries joining the military bloc.

The Finnish presidency said the four leaders will meet in Madrid, before the start of the alliance's summit, which will focus on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Finnish presidency said the meeting "will be preceded (Monday) by a round of talks between Finnish, Swedish and Turkish officials hosted by NATO in Brussels.”

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan/Official Facebook page

Erdogan's chief foreign policy adviser said Tuesday's four-way meeting did not mean that an agreement was imminent.

Ibrahim Kalin told HaberTurk channel: "Participating in this summit does not mean that we will step back from our position."

He said: "We are conducting a negotiation. It has many stages."

PM Magdalena Andersson tells Turkey: Sweden not funding or arming ‘terrorist organizations’

Kalin said Finland and Sweden needed to make "serious changes" to their laws "and constitution" targeting outlawed Kurdish militants.

He said in reference to Kurdish groups operating in Syria and Iraq: "We want you to show the same change against the PKK and its affiliated YPG, PYD and similar structures."

Russia's invasion of Ukraine earlier this year saw the two Nordic countries abandon decades of military non-alignment by applying for NATO membership in May.

levantnews-alaraby

Sri Lanka suspends fuel sales for two weeks: official At least 46 people dead after being found in 18-wheeler in US state of Texas

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”