Dialogue regarding the ratification of NATO membership is continuing with Türkiye and it is going quite well, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said Wednesday.
He expressed optimism that Hungary would also ratify Sweden's application as well, after he spoke with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto a few days ago.
"We have also had quite positive remarks made during that conversation," Billstrom told a news conference in Helsinki in connection with a Nordic Council meeting in the Finnish capital.
"We see a positive and progressive movement forward when it comes to the ratification by Hungary towards the Swedish and the Finnish applications," he said.
Finland's President Sauli Niinisto also said earlier in the day that he was counting on Hungary to ratify the Nordic country's NATO application after he had talked on the phone with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
"Good that Finland can count on Hungary in our NATO ratification. I look forward to further strengthening our Fenno-Ugric connection also as allies," Niinisto said on Twitter, referring to the countries' shared linguistic history.
Finland and Sweden asked to join NATO in May in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine but ran into objections from Türkiye. Hungary and Türkiye are the only remaining members that have not ratified the applications.
Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin on Tuesday urged Hungary and Türkiye to swiftly approve the Swedish and Finnish applications for membership in the NATO defense alliance.
"All eyes are now on Hungary and Türkiye. We are waiting for these countries to ratify our applications. I think it would be important that this would happen preferably sooner than later," Marin told a joint news conference with other Nordic leaders.
Finland and Sweden last week reiterated they would join NATO at the same time, presenting a united front to Türkiye.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg is due to arrive in Türkiye on Thursday for a three-day visit, the Turkish Foreign Ministry has said.
In a statement on Wednesday, the ministry said Stoltenberg will be received by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The NATO chief will also meet Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar.
The talks are expected to be centered around the extension of the Istanbul grain deal, and the NATO membership bids of Sweden and Finland, whom Türkiye has accused of supporting terrorist groups.
Finland and Sweden struck a deal with Türkiye in June, and Erdoğan has warned his country will not give the nod to their memberships until Ankara's concerns are addressed.