Hungary supports Sweden's NATO membership, PM Orban tells Stoltenberg

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in a phone call that the Hungarian government supports Sweden's membership of the military alliance, Orban said on social media platform X on January 24.

"I reaffirmed that the Hungarian government supports the NATO-membership of #Sweden," Orban said in the post.

Good call with @PM_ViktorOrban of #Hungary. 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.

— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) January 24, 2024

Orban added that he also told Stoltenberg that he will continue to urge the Hungarian national assembly to vote in favour of Sweden's accession to NATO and conclude the ratification at the first possible opportunity.

Stoltenberg said after the call that Orban and his government clearly supported Sweden's NATO membership.

"I look forward to the ratification as soon as parliament reconvenes," Stoltenberg said on X.

Turkey's parliament approved Sweden's membership in the Western military alliance on Tuesday, leaving Hungary as the only NATO member yet to ratify the accession.