Hungary affirms support for Sweden's NATO membership

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban reiterated his country's backing for Sweden's bid to join NATO on Wednesday in a phone conversation with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. Budapest remains the last holdout in ratifying Stockholm's NATO membership.

"I reaffirmed that the Hungarian government supports the NATO membership of Sweden," Orban conveyed on X, formerly Twitter. He emphasized the ongoing efforts to sway the Hungarian National Assembly to vote in favor of Sweden's accession and expedite the ratification process at the earliest opportunity.

Stoltenberg welcomed the news, describing it as a "good call" with Orban. "I welcome the clear support of the Prime Minister and his government for Sweden's NATO membership. I look forward to the ratification as soon as parliament reconvenes," he shared on X. The Hungarian Parliament is scheduled to reconvene in mid-February.

Source: AFP