Sweden ready to join NATO after fulfilling commitments to Turkey — bloc’s chief

General Jens Stoltenberg

STOCKHOLM, October 24. /TASS/: Sweden has fulfilled its commitments to Turkey and is now ready to join the North Atlantic Alliance, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.

"Sweden has fulfilled its commitments. Sweden has amended its constitution, changed its laws, expanded counter-terrorism cooperation, and resumed arms exports to Turkey," he pointed out at a press conference in Stockholm. "I look forward to welcoming Sweden as a full NATO Ally in the very near future," Stoltenberg added.

The NATO chief stressed that he welcomed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s move to send Sweden’s NATO accession protocol to the Grand National Assembly.

Erdogan earlier submitted the document to Turkey’s parliament. Under Turkish law, it will be first considered by the Parliamentary Commission on Foreign Affairs and if approved, it will be put to the vote in parliament.

Turkey and Hungary are the only two NATO countries that haven’t yet ratified protocols on Sweden’s accession to the alliance.