Swedish PM says ready to meet Hungarian counterpart for NATO discussions

STOCKHOLM -- Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Thursday he agreed with his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban that a more intensive political dialogue between their countries would be beneficial.

Kristersson was responding to a letter from Orban inviting him to visit Hungary for talks on Sweden's integration into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and on strengthening bilateral relations.

Hungary is the only NATO member country that has not approved Sweden's application yet. The Turkish parliament approved Sweden's NATO bid Tuesday.

Kristersson said in a letter obtained by Swedish Television (SVT): "The completion of the ratification process of Sweden's NATO membership in the Hungarian Parliament will create a solid foundation to move ahead in our bilateral relationship, and to reinforce mutual understanding and trust."

He also said they could meet in Budapest "at a time convenient for both of us" and that there would also be an opportunity to meet in Brussels at the European Council on Feb 1.

Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO after Russia launched its military campaign in Ukraine in 2022. Their accession requires the unanimous approval of all members of NATO.