MUSKO, Sweden (HRNW) – The United States looks forward to welcoming Sweden as a NATO member before the alliance’s upcoming summit in July and will encourage Turkey and Hungary to ratify accession, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday during a visit to Sweden.
Along with Finland, Sweden applied to join NATO in May last year. Finland’s application was processed in record time and it became the thirty-first member of the alliance earlier this month.
“We look forward to soon welcoming Sweden as the 32nd (member of NATO). To be clear, we look forward to that to happen before the summit in July,” Austin told a news conference.
“We encourage our allies, Turkiye and Hungary, to ratify Sweden’s accession as soon as possible.”
Sweden’s accession has been held up by Turkey and Hungary who have yet to ratify Sweden as a member.