Stoltenberg-No Prediction On Swedish Accession, But Certain They Will Join

Speaking at the Nordic Council session in Oslo, Norway, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg states that he "Will not predict the date when Sweden will join NATO. It depends on the Turkish parliament," but adds that "So far the process in the Turkish parliament is going well," and "I am certain Sweden will join NATO."

• Speaking to reporters earlier today, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom stated his view that Hungary is set to ratify Sweden's accession before Turkey, saying “The Hungarian government has consistently been clear that Sweden would be a valuable addition to NATO, and most importantly they have said that they won’t be the last country to ratify. Sooner or later they will have to live up to that.”
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan submitted a bill to the Grand National Assemblylast weekseeking to ratify Sweden's accession, with the GNA's Foreign Affairs committee potentially taking up the debate this week. The legislature as a whole will have to vote on the ratification before it is approved.
• NATO members are keen to have Sweden join as soon as possible. The Nordic state's armed forces are advanced, and it possesses the fifth-largest navy in the world in terms of number of warships. Sweden's posession of the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea is also seen as a major strategic asset in restricting Russia's actions in the region.