Hungary not convinced that Sweden is suitable for NATO membership: Premier’s top aide

By Leila Nezirevic

LONDON (AA) - Sweden has not done enough to convince Hungarian authorities that it is a suitable candidate for NATO membership, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff said at a press conference Thursday.

Gergely Gulyas urged the country to work on bilateral relations when it comes to the Nordic country's NATO bid to “strengthen trust” while at the same time noting that Sweden joining the alliance is not a priority for Hungary.

Gulyas described the relationship between the two countries as “one of allies legally right now” that cannot be considered friendly.

Orban’s aide further suggested that the Swedish government take the necessary steps to find out “what questions the Hungarian parliament has" about Sweden's NATO bid.

Hungarian authorities have said on numerous occasions that Hungary will not be the last country to approve Sweden's membership. However, at the same time, Orban told the parliament last September that ratifying the Scandinavian country’s NATO bid was not urgent.

Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership in May 2022, abandoning their longstanding non-alignment policies, a decision spurred by Russia's war on Ukraine, which started in February that year.

Finland, which shares a 1,340-kilometer (832-mile) border with Russia, became a member of NATO on April 4, 2023, bringing the number of member states to 31.

Sweden’s membership however is still pending ratification by member countries Türkiye and Hungary, but the Turkish parliament's general assembly may debate its NATO membership bid in the coming weeks.