Sweden ready to restart negotiations with Turkey on joining NATO
(VOVWORLD) -Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Tuesday said he is ready to restart stalled negotiations on Sweden's application to join NATO as soon as Ankara is ready.
 Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (R) and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (L). (Photo: Reuters) |
Kristersson told a news conference during a visit to Estonia that preconditions for restarting talks are good, but that with Turkish elections coming in May, it’s understandable that Turkey is focused on domestic matters.
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto expressed hope on Tuesday that Finland and Sweden will become NATO members "as soon as possible".
Both Sweden and Finland hastened to apply to join NATO after Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine. Of the 30 NATO members, Turkey and Hungary are the only two that have not yet approved Sweden and Finland's proposal to join.