Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: We have waited 60 years at the doorstep of the European Union. We are no longer waiting.
Al Mayadeen correspondent: One civilian martyred, another injured by Saudi Arabia's armed forces in Saada, Yemen.
The Turkish authorities have banned media from broadcasting at the scene of an attempted terrorist attack that hit the capital near Parliament earlier.
An explosion and gunfire heard in Turkey’s capital Ankara near the parliament and the ministries.
US House 45-day stopgap funding bill with no aid for Ukraine gets enough votes.
Armenia quickly denied the allegations of killing an Azerbaijani soldier, saying the claim its forces had opened fire on Azerbaijani positions "does not correspond to reality".
Azerbaijan says a soldier was killed by a sniper on the Armenian border.
White House: The US is monitoring a troubling Serbian military deployment along the border of Kosovo that is causing tensions.
White House: Serbia and Kosovo must fulfill their commitments and avoid taking any provocative steps.
White House spokesperson John Kirby urges Serbia to withdraw its forces from its borders with Kosovo.

Swedish NATO decision 'absolutely possible' before summit: NATO chief

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 30 May 2023 23:15
  • x

The NATO chief expresses optimism about welcoming Sweden to the alliance.

  • NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a news conference following. Meeting of defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. (AP)
    NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a news conference following a meeting of defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023 (AP)

It is "absolutely possible" to decide on Sweden's NATO membership before the alliance's summit scheduled to take place on 11-12 July 2023, in Lithuania's capital, Vilnius, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday, two days after re-electing Turkey's president who is opposed to the idea.

Stoltenberg told reporters in Oslo on the eve of a NATO foreign ministers' meeting that there are no guarantees, "but it's absolutely possible to reach a solution and enable the decision on full membership for Sweden by then."

Read: Turkey, Sweden, Finland to Discuss NATO membership in Brussels

"We don't have any certainty. Of course we are speaking about sovereign decisions by national parliaments," he said, adding that there was "a window now especially after the Turkish elections and with a Turkish parliament being constituted."

"Of course it is possible and we are working hard for this to happen as soon as possible," Stoltenberg noted.

On his part, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Turkey's re-elected leader to drop his objections to Sweden's membership in NATO, urging movement on ratification before an alliance summit in July. 

Two days after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won the Turkish elections, Blinken said on a trip to Sweden that Stockholm had addressed Turkey's concerns over joining the group. 

Related News

‘Not a single round for Ukraine’ Slovakia’s Fico wins parliament

Hungary to only help Kiev when 'Transcarpathians rights return': Orban

"The time is now to finalise Sweden's accession," Blinken told a news conference with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in the northern Swedish city of Lulea.

"We urge both Turkey and Hungary -- which also has not yet ratified -- to ratify the accession as quickly as possible," Blinken said.

"There is no reason for any further time. Sweden is ready now."

"We look forward to this process being completed in the weeks ahead. We have no doubt that it can be and that it should be and we expect it to be," Blinken said, declining to say if the process would be complete before the July 11-12 NATO summit in Vilnius.

Last week, faced with opposition from both Turkey and Hungary, the Swedish government contemplated deferring the objective of joining NATO from the July summit to the bloc's conference in Washington next April, according to numerous sources.

Hungary-Sweden relations are strained and must improve before the Nordic country's NATO membership application is granted, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said, addressing the Qatar Economic Forum.

Read more: Relations with Sweden 'awfully wrong': Orban

Stoltenberg further added that he is in "constant contact" with Turkish authorities in an attempt to get the final obstacles to Sweden's accession lifted.

Sweden and its neighbor Finland applied to join NATO last year, citing changes in the European security picture as a result of the Ukraine crisis. While Finland went on to become a member, Turkey and Hungary have stymied Sweden's bid, with Budapest citing grievances over Stockholm's criticism of Orban's record on democracy and the rule of law, and Ankara accusing Sweden of harboring what it sees as Kurdish terrorists and, most recently, meddling in Turkish elections.

  • Viktor Orban
  • Nato
  • Finland
  • NATO summit
  • Sweden
  • Jens Stoltenberg
  • Lithuania

Most Read

BBC from the front lines in Ukraine: It's bad, counteroffensive failed

BBC from the front lines in Ukraine: It's bad, counteroffensive failed

  • Europe
  • 28 Sep 2023
Zelensky joins Canadian Parliament’s ovation to WWII Nazi soldier

Zelensky joins Canadian Parliament’s ovation to WWII Nazi soldier

  • US & Canada
  • 25 Sep 2023
Who Would Ally with the West: ‘It’s Boring – The Real Excitement is in Asia’

Who Would Ally with the West: ‘It’s Boring – The Real Excitement is in Asia’

  • Analysis
  • 30 Sep 2023
How Hezbollah Burnt the Naqab Forest, The Abbassiye Landing Operation

Al Mayadeen documentary: How Hezbollah burnt the IOF's Naqab Forest

  • MENA
  • 24 Sep 2023

Coverage

All
Morocco & Libya Disasters

Read Next

All
sd
MENA

Islamic unity vital to counter US, Israeli plots, aggression: Raisi

DPRK flag
Asia

DPRK assimilates NATO, US alliance with Japan, South Korea to cancer

President Joe Biden signs H.J.Res.100, a bill that aims to avert a freight rail strike, in the Roosevelt Room at the White House, Friday, Dec. 2, 2022, in Washington. (AP)
US & Canada

Biden signs 45-day spending bill averting government shutdown

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell speaks with the media as he arrives for an EU summit at the European Council building in Brussels, Thursday, June 29, 2023. (AP)n Ukrainian Port
Europe

Borrell sheds crocodile tears over Odessa after slew of drone attacks

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS