NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday applauded a decision by the Turkish Parliamentary Commission on Foreign Affairs to support Sweden’s entry into NATO, paving the way for a formal green light from Turkey.
Turkey, along with Hungary, has been the last member of NATO blocking Sweden’s accession bid. Stoltenberg said he counted on the two countries to complete swiftly their ratification procedures regarding Sweden’s membership, thus bolstering NATO’s strength.
Sweden’s NATO membership protocol must now be presented to the Turkish parliament for final approval. This routine measure, due to happen in the coming hours or days, would confirm Sweden’s acceptance into NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), although an exact date has not yet been specified.
Hungary has also stalled Sweden's bid, claiming that Swedish politicians have been misrepresenting the state of democracy in Hungary. In fact, Sweden shares EU's concerns about the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary in Hungary. It has not yet been said when its ratification may occur.
