Hungary’s president urges lawmakers to ratify Finland, Sweden NATO entry

BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Hungarian President Katalin Novak urged lawmakers on Wednesday to ratify Finland and Sweden’s NATO entry “as quickly as attainable” as deputies began debating the motions after months of the payments being stranded in parliament.

Sweden and Finland utilized final yr to hitch the transatlantic defence pact after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. However all 30 NATO members have to again the purposes and Sweden has confronted objections from Turkey for harbouring what Ankara considers to be members of terrorist teams.

Turkish International Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu mentioned on Monday talks with Sweden and Finland over their NATO membership bids would resume on March 9, though he mentioned Sweden had nonetheless not fulfilled its obligations beneath a memorandum signed final yr.

With Hungary’s ratification course of stranded in parliament since July, nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban aired issues about Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership for the primary time final Friday.

Amongst different criticisms, he has accused each international locations of spreading “outright lies” in regards to the well being of democracy and the rule of regulation in Hungary.

“It’s a advanced determination, with critical penalties, so cautious consideration is critical,” Novak mentioned on Fb.

“My place is clear-cut: within the current state of affairs, the accession of Sweden and Finland is justified. I belief the Nationwide Meeting will make a smart determination as quickly as attainable.”

Nationalist Orban mentioned extra talks have been wanted between parliamentary teams earlier than lawmakers vote on the membership bids, which they’ll start debating on Wednesday.

Finnish International Minister Pekka Haavisto on Tuesday mentioned Hungary intends to ship a parliamentary delegation to Finland on or round March 9 to debate the Nordic nation’s pending NATO membership.

Orban’s chief of employees on Saturday mentioned a vote on ratification could happen solely within the second half of March.

(Reporting by Gergely Szakacs, Jason Hovet and Alan Charlish; Modifying by Christina Fincher)