Hungary delays ratification of Finnish and Swedish bids to join NATO

Hungarian parliamentarians want to postpone the meeting, which will consider this issue.

Deputies from the ruling party of Hungary want to postpone the parliament meeting next week. Such a decision would delay the ratification of Finland’s and Sweden’s applications for membership in NATO.

The Guardian writes that left-wing Democratic Coalition spokeswoman Agnes Vadai said she had received a letter from Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen telling her that the ruling Fidesz party and the Christian Democrats wanted to postpone the Monday meeting.

Sweden and Finland applied for membership in a transatlantic military alliance last year after Russian troops invaded Ukraine. All 30 NATO members must ratify the applications, with Hungary and Turkey the only ones that have abstained from approving them.submarines

Sweden and Finland in NATO – what is known

In 2022, Finland and Sweden abandoned their neutrality and applied for membership in the North Atlantic Alliance, which they accepted in June, after which their ratification by NATO member countries started.

28 out of 30 members of the Alliance have ratified applications from Finland and Sweden. Hungary has not yet ratified the document, but has not put forward any conditions either.

Turkey opposed the accession of these countries to NATO, because they allegedly provide asylum to Kurds and Turks accused of separatist activities. The head of the country, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, demanded the extradition of more than 100 representatives of the PKK .

At the same time, officials of the countries believe that Turkey’s position may change after the parliamentary and presidential elections.

(C)UNIAN 2023