Swedish FM: Quran burning not to prevent accession to NATO

Quran-burning actions in Sweden do not affect the process of the kingdom's accession to NATO, the country's Foreign Minister Tobias Billström said in an interview with the Dagens Nyheter newspaper.

"Türkiye has clearly stated that it will send the protocol of ratification [of Sweden's accession bid] to the Turkish parliament for ratification," he said. - I don't see a situation where the burning of the Quran will affect Sweden's NATO membership," the minister said, adding that "no one mentions religion" in the agreement with Ankara, TASS reports.

This summer, a number of Quran-burning demonstrations have taken place in Sweden, and these actions have provoked a negative reaction from the population and authorities in Muslim countries. The Swedish police are considering a number of new applications for the rallies. Last week, SEPO security police raised Sweden's terrorist threat level to penultimate on a five-point scale.