Hultqvist met with Turkey and Hungary over NATO membership

28 NATO countries have agreed to the membership of Finland and Sweden in NATO. Bara två ätterstår, Turkey and Hungary. I am samband med att försvarsministerna mötts i Bruxelles For two days, Swede Peter Hultqvist and Finnish Antti Kaikkonen met the two countries.

until Finnish media Kaikkonen says Thursday’s meeting with Hungarian Kristof Zalai Pobrovenski went well and that the country would certify Finnish membership. A similar statement has been heard before Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga Regarding Swedish membership.

On Wednesday, the Finnish Defense Minister met his Turkish colleague Hulusi Akar. After that meeting, Kakkonen said it was good to exchange ideas between the defense ministers.

Peter Holtqvist wants Not to go into the content of his talks with Hungary and Turkey, but the matter is related to the NATO operation and that he had several talks with Hulusi Akar.

– It’s something I will report to the Prime Minister, he says.

Also on Thursday, a separate meeting was held between the United States, Finland and Sweden, where NATO membership was an item on the agenda.

Does the United States have the solution to make Turkey in particular say yes to Finland and Sweden?

The United States is very important within NATO and has a strong weight. Obviously, it is critical to have discussions with the US Secretary of Defense, says Peter Holtqvist.

He wants Finland and Sweden to become members of the Defense Alliance as soon as possible.

We want to start military planning as soon as possible. It is about, for example, using the strategic depth that Norway, Finland and Sweden have together. In the southern part, we can do a lot with Denmark. The time shift is not good.

Are you aware of this in Turkey and Hungary?

– I don’t want to speculate on that, but we are usually clear to everyone who wants to listen and for different stakeholders.

During the meeting in Brussels, the news was presented that 14 European countries in NATO and Finland should coordinate their purchases of air defenses to better protect themselves from attacks.

It’s about operational compatibility. It’s about being able to tailor pricing accordingly. And of course, it’s about being able to support each other when it comes to maintenance, says Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht.

Sweden is not involved in the project. According to Peter Hultqvist, this is because the country is governed by an administrative government.

– I got the message that this is open to Sweden and we have nothing against it. We are positive about doing things that enhance cooperation between different countries and develop our military capacity and capabilities.

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