Swedish PM aims to meet Hungary's Orban next week for NATO talks

Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has offered to meet his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban in Brussels next week, the Swedish government said on Thursday, hoping to clear the remaining obstacle to Stockholm's delayed bid to join NATO. Sweden, along with Finland, applied to join the alliance in 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has offered to meet his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban in Brussels next week, the Swedish government said on Thursday, hoping to clear the remaining obstacle to Stockholm's delayed bid to join NATO.

Sweden, along with Finland, applied to join the alliance in 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Finland became the alliance's 31st member last year but until now Turkey and Hungary had blocked Sweden's application. On Tuesday, Turkey's parliament finally gave the green light to Sweden's application and President Tayyip Erdogan is expected to add his signature in the coming days, leaving Hungary as the only NATO member yet to approve Swedish membership.

That has left Stockholm fretting over its security and has frustrated other NATO members who believe that Sweden will make the alliance stronger in the geopolitically important Baltic region. In a letter to Orban, Kristersson said there would be a chance to meet at the European Council in Brussels on Feb. 1.

"I agree with you that a more intensive dialogue between our countries would be beneficial," Kristersson said. He also accepted an invitation from Orban to meet in Budapest "at a time convenient for both of us" to discuss Sweden's NATO application. Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said the aim of the visit would be to build trust.

Orban has bridled at Swedish criticism over democratic developments under his government. However, he repeated on Wednesday that his country supports Swedish membership. Unlike Turkey, Hungary has not made any explicit demands in return for supporting Sweden's NATO application and it remains unclear what talks between the two countries would cover.

"Fighter jets could be a negotiation card... as Hungary leases Swedish JAS Gripen, a contract which is up for extension and possible expansion," Anna Wieslander, Director for Northern Europe at the Atlantic Council think-tank, said in a note. At the end of 2001, the Hungarian government signed a contract for the leasing of 14 Gripen fighters made by Sweden's SAAB.

Hungary's parliament will need to ratify Sweden's application, but its speaker said on Thursday there was no urgency in approving it. The parliament is in recess until around mid-February, but Orban could call it back for an emergency session.

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