The ratification of Sweden’s application for NATO membership by Hungary is now “just a technical issue”, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Tuesday, after Turkey agreed to allow the Nordic state to join the military alliance.
On Monday, Turkey agreed to allow Sweden to join NATO, enabling the allies to display their unity at a summit primarily dedicated to strengthening support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s aggression.
Hungary and Turkey are the last NATO members that have not yet ratified Sweden’s accession to the alliance.
“The conclusion of the ratification process is now just a technical issue,” Szijjártó said in a Facebook statement.
The Hungarian parliament concluded its extraordinary summer session on Friday but may call for a new session in the coming days to proceed with the vote.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán reiterated last Friday that Budapest supports Sweden’s application.
“We are in constant contact with both the NATO Secretary General and Turkey,” he said.
“If we see that we have something to do, we will do it. Hungary is not known for hesitating when it comes to making decisions,” he added.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s blockage of Sweden’s membership offer had cast a shadow over the preparations for Tuesday’s NATO summit, but the countries resolved their differences in late hour talks in Vilnius.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan agreed to support Sweden’s accession to NATO.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed this on 10 July after a meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania, with Erdoğan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
Turkey had blocked Sweden’s application, accusing Stockholm of harboring Kurdish activists whom Ankara considers terrorists.
For a state to become a NATO member, all 32 countries must ratify the accession protocols in their parliaments. In the case of Sweden, besides Turkey, Hungary has also not ratified the protocol for Stockholm to join the alliance.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership in May 2022.
Finland became a member of the alliance in April 2023.
The agreement between Sweden and Turkey came one day before the start of the two-day NATO summit to be held in Vilnius, Lithuania.
