NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said it was a good day for both the countries (File Photo)

Despite opposition from

on Tuesday started the process of approving

Sweden and

30 NATO countries have approved the process of granting membership to Finland and Sweden.

Jens Stoltenberg, the head of the military alliance, said it

would be an important step against

"It's a good day for Finland and Sweden, and a good day for NATO," Stoltenberg told reporters in a joint press statement with the foreign ministers of Sweden and Finland.

He added, "With 32 countries, we will be stronger than ever and our people will also be safe at a time when we are witnessing the biggest security crisis after many decades."

The Secretary General of NATO was making these statements ahead of a meeting with the diplomats of 30 NATO countries.

In this meeting, the protocol for joining the two Nordic countries in NATO is expected to be signed.

This will give allies more than a month to confirm their membership. 

Sweden's Foreign Minister Ann Linde said: "We are grateful for the support we are getting from our allies to join NATO."

"We are confident that our membership will strengthen NATO and stabilize the Euro-Atlantic region," he added.

After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, Sweden and Finland announced together that they were leaving military non-alignment and joining NATO.

The move to invite the two countries was welcomed at last week's NATO summit in Madrid.

Turkey had some objections to this, but some concessions were given to Turkey for this and America assured Turkey that it would give new fighter planes to Turkey.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Sweden and Finland of harboring Kurdish extremists and promoting terror. 

He also demanded that the arms embargo imposed on Turkey should also be lifted in protest of the Turkish army's attack on Syria in 2019.

But Erdogan had stunned NATO by saying that he could still block Sweden and Finland's claims if the promises made to him were not fulfilled.

Some of these promises have not been made public, which may include a possible extradition treaty.