Hungary's ruling party insists Swedish premier visit Budapest for NATO talks with counterpart

BELGRADE, Serbia

The leader of Hungary's ruling party said Monday that Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson should agree to meet with his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban in Budapest to secure Stockholm's NATO accession.

"The ratification of Swedish NATO (membership) may take place at the beginning of the regular parliamentary session. But for this, the meeting of the two prime ministers in Budapest is required. If it is important for the Swedes to join, they will come here as they went to Türkiye," Fidesz chief Mate Kocsis said on social media.

Hungary became the only NATO ally that has yet to approve Sweden's membership in the alliance after Turkish parliament ratified the Nordic country's application on Jan. 23.

Admission of a new member requires the unanimous support of all NATO members.

Hungary's parliament was scheduled to meet in an extraordinary session to discuss ratification of Sweden's accession after a call by the opposition to vote on ratification on Monday.

But Fidesz lawmakers boycotted the session, further delaying ratification.

A parliamentary quorum is required before the matter can be discussed by lawmakers, with the next regular session due to open on Feb. 26 after the chamber's winter break.

Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership in May 2022 following the start of Russia's war on Ukraine earlier that year.

Finland joined the alliance as its 31st member in April 2023.