Hungary explains Sweden's delay in joining NATO

Balazs Orban, political advisor to Hungary’s Prime Minister, said that the country's parliament could not yet approve Sweden's joining NATO because of the MPs’ anxiety over Stockholm's meddling in the country's internal affairs.

He made the announcement on his social media, TASS reports.

Hungary's national parliament plans to ratify the agreement on Finland's accession to NATO on March 27, postponing the issue of Sweden's membership.

"Some Hungarian MPs are concerned because they see that in recent years Swedish government officials, ministers, prime ministers and politicians have constantly expressed doubts about the state of Hungarian democracy, insulting Hungarian voters and their representatives and therefore the whole country," Orban wrote.

The prime minister's advisor also said that the poor political cooperation between Hungary and Sweden in the EU makes one wonder what it will be like already in NATO.

He said Hungarian MPs want their Swedish counterparts to give assurances that political disputes on the subject are behind them and that nothing will hinder cooperation between the countries in the future.

The official also added that Budapest did not take a position on Stockholm's domestic politics and hoped for the same position from Sweden.