Swedish PM says won't negotiate with Hungary on NATO bid
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Sweden's Prime Minister rejects negotiations with Hungary over Sweden's NATO bid, following an invitation from Hungary's Prime Minister.
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Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson listens during the meeting with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda at the President's palace in Vilnius, Lithuania, Tuesday, February 7, 2023. (AP)
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated on Friday that he would not engage in negotiations with Hungary regarding Sweden's NATO bid.
Despite Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban extending an invitation for discussions in Budapest, which Kristersson accepted on Thursday, the Swedish Prime Minister emphasized his stance of not entering into negotiations on the matter.
"I'm happy to go to Budapest ... We have a lot to talk about ... but we're not negotiating the NATO membership, there are no negotiations on this," Kristersson told Swedish television TV4, "But we could talk about how we will best cooperate in NATO."
'No reason to negotiate'
On Tuesday, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said there was "no reason to negotiate" with Hungary.
Kristersson expressed on Friday his willingness to travel to Budapest, but deemed a meeting with Orban at the European Union Council in Brussels on February 1 as a more practical option, adding, "We'll see each other on Thursday next week at the European Council and we can begin discussing things then."
Planning a visit to Budapest, Kristersson remarked, "We'd have to find a suitable date for this, as such matters are not typically arranged hastily, and I suspect that his calendar, much like mine, is quite full."
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Orban sent the invitation shortly after Hungary criticized Sweden for not taking action to strengthen bilateral relations.
It is worth noting that Budapest has frequently criticized what it perceives as Sweden's "openly hostile attitude," accusing Swedish representatives of consistently criticizing Hungary on rule-of-law issues. However, Orban stated on Wednesday that, despite tensions, he had reiterated his "support" for Sweden's NATO membership in a phone conversation with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.
Sweden and Finland abandoned decades of military non-alignment and sought NATO membership in response to the NATO-orchestrated war in Ukraine nearly two years ago. While Finland successfully joined the alliance in April, Sweden faced delays until Turkey's parliament ratified its bid on Tuesday, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan formally signing the accession protocol on Thursday.
