Iran Press/ Europe: The measure passed by a vote of 209 in favor and 46 against.
France joins "twenty allies" who "have already ratified the protocols," French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said.
All 30 NATO member states need to formally ratify the measure before Sweden and Finland can enjoy the full protection of Article 5 of the NATO Charter in the event of an attack.
Meanwhile, Turkey is threatening to "freeze" the process, accusing the two Scandinavian countries of aiding the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and its allies.
Italy's Lower House backs NATO membership for Finland and Sweden
Italy's Chamber of Deputies approved a bill on Tuesday to ratify the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO in a vote welcomed by Giorgia Meloni, whose far-right Brothers of Italy party is seen as the front runner in the coming election.
The lower house voted by 398 votes to 20 in favour of the bill which now needs a second, final green light from the Senate.
About Finland and Sweden joining NATO, Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier said: "The accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO does not have any particular problem that will bother us. If Finland and Sweden wish so, they can join the organizatio (NATO), but if military groups and military installations are stationed there, we will be obliged to respond equally and threaten those countries that have threatened us."
Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine, which it says aims among other things to degrade Ukraine's military potential and prevent it becoming a bridgehead for a NATO attack, has prompted the two Nordic countries to consider joining the U.S.-led alliance.
If the two countries join, "we'll have to make our western flank more sophisticated in terms of ensuring our security," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said earlier.
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