Hungarian FM Calls for Direct Engagement from Swedish Prime Minister on NATO Accession

Friday February 02, 2024 - 19:57:09
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Staff Reporter
Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson in Brussels on Thursday (Photo: consilium.europa.eu)
Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson in Brussels on Thursday (Photo: consilium.europa.eu)
Budapest, Hungary (diplomat.so) - Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has urged Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Hjalmar Kristersson to engage directly with Hungarian officials regarding Hungary's ratification of Sweden's NATO membership. This comes after the Turkish Parliament's approval of Sweden's accession to NATO, leaving Hungary as the only member yet to complete the ratification process.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ratification of Sweden's NATO application has formalized Turkey's approval of Sweden's membership in the alliance. Despite this, Hungary has not ratified Sweden's accession, citing the need for further dialogue and engagement.

Zoltan Kovac, the Hungarian government spokesman, echoed Szijjártó's sentiments on social media, stating, "The ball is in your court, Prime Minister of Sweden," as reported by Al Arabiya.net.

Sweden submitted its candidacy for NATO membership in May 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The delay in Hungary's ratification has raised questions, with some suggesting it may be linked to "Swedish criticism of democracy in Hungary," as reported by The Guardian.

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