‘There is no urgency to ratify Sweden’s NATO accession’: Viktor Orban

BUDAPEST: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said there is “no urgency” to ratify Sweden’s accession to NATO, and called for “respect” from the Nordic country.

Speaking in Parliament to open the Autumn session, the Hungarian leader said on Monday: “There is no urgency from the government to push for support regarding Sweden’s NATO accession, and Sweden’s security is not under threat.”

The issue of Swedish NATO accession has been under discussion for more than a year. Within the military alliance, only the Turkish and Hungarian Parliaments are yet to approve Sweden’s membership, Xinhua news agency reported.

Divergences between Hungary and Sweden have escalated in recent weeks as a past film resurfaced, shown in Swedish schools, presenting Hungary as a bad example of democracy in the European Union.

On Thursday, Mate Kocsis, group leader of Orban’s Fidesz party, said the chances that the Hungarian Parliament would vote on Sweden in the current Autumn session were “low”. (IANS)

Also Read: ‘Ukraine cannot become NATO member until conflict ends’: Jens Stoltenberg

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