NATO foreign ministers gather in Norway for informal meeting

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

OSLO, Norway (AA) - An informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers will be held later Wednesday in Norway's capital Oslo.

The two-day meeting will be chaired by the alliance's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

The gathering in Oslo will begin with a news conference at 2.30 p.m. local time (1230GMT).

Recent clashes in Kosovo and supporting Ukraine will remain at the top of the foreign ministers' agendas. According to Stoltenberg, the alliance will also prepare for the July 11-12 NATO Summit in Lithuania.

Sweden's accession to NATO after Finland will also be one of the priorities of the meeting.

This meeting will mark Finland's second participation in NATO events as a member.

On Tuesday, Stoltenberg called for an end to the clashes in Kosovo, where at least 30 NATO soldiers were injured.

He announced the deployment of an additional 700 troops in Kosovo due to the ongoing tensions, adding that the alliance will put a battalion from the reserve forces on heightened alert so it can also be deployed if needed.

On Sweden’s bid to join NATO, he said such a decision is "absolutely possible" before the Lithuania summit, noting that six weeks is "long enough" to make the membership happen.

Stoltenberg also tweeted: "I am in close contact with Turkish authorities to ensure Sweden joins as soon as possible."

Sweden passed an anti-terror law last November, hoping that Ankara would approve Stockholm’s bid to join NATO. The new law, which goes into force on June 1, will allow authorities to prosecute individuals who support terrorist groups.