Norwegian PM expects upcoming Vilnius summit to approve Sweden’s joining NATO

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere has said that NATO's Vilnius summit in July should approve Sweden’s becoming a member of the Alliance.

He made the remark talking to foreign correspondents in Oslo on May 22, according to Reuters.

Swedish Defence Minister Paul Johnsson has previously said that Sweden should have become a member of the North Atlantic Alliance decades ago.

At the same time, the defence minister expressed hope that the country will become a member of the alliance by the NATO summit in mid-July.

Speaking about Ukraine's prospects for NATO membership, the Swedish defence minister said that to discuss this issue, Sweden itself should join the organization.

In April, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin expressed hope that Sweden would join NATO before the July summit in Vilnius. Earlier, Swedish Radio suggested that Sweden would not join NATO until at least September.