"This is an historic day, for Finland, for Sweden, for NATO, and for Euro-Atlantic security," says NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg after protocols were signed launching the required ratification process in all NATO countries for Sweden and Finland to join the alliance. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had threatened to block their entry and accused Sweden and Finland of being havens for Kurdish militants, and for promoting "terrorism". But Erdogan dropped his objections last week. 'We have actually addressed all those concerns that Turkey has raised,' Finnish FM Pekka Haavisto says. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES