NATO's Stoltenberg expects Hungary to ratify Sweden membership at end of Feb
(VOVWORLD) - NATO boss Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday he expected Hungary's parliament to ratify Sweden's accession as soon as it reconvenes at the end of February, clearing the final hurdle for the Nordic nation to join the Western military alliance.
 NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
Hungary became the last NATO country still to give the legal green light to Swedish membership after the Turkish parliament ratified Stockholm's application on Tuesday and President Tayyip Erdogan signed off on the approval on Thursday.
All of NATO's 31 members have to ratify an applicant country's accession before it can join the alliance.
Stoltenberg, secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had assured him in a telephone call this week and that he supports Sweden's accession.