The Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, announced on Thursday in Oslo that he would be traveling to Ankara “in the near future” to try to overcome the final obstacles to Sweden’s membership.

NATO Secretary General Advocates for Sweden's Membership Amidst Turkish Opposition

“I spoke with President Erdogan earlier this week, and I will be heading to Ankara in the near future to advocate for membership so that Sweden can become a member of the Alliance as soon as possible,” he stated at the start of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers. The date of the visit is not known at this stage.

NATO Secretary General Advocates for Sweden's Membership Amidst Turkish Opposition

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was reelected on Sunday, has been blocking Sweden’s candidacy, accusing Stockholm of hosting opposition figures with alleged links to banned Kurdish militants. Fulfilling a key requirement from Ankara, the Swedish Parliament has passed a new law prohibiting activities related to extremist groups, thereby strengthening its counterterrorism legislation. The legislation comes into effect this Thursday.

NATO Secretary General Advocates for Sweden's Membership Amidst Turkish Opposition

“I am confident that Hungary will also ratify the accession protocol,” Jens Stoltenberg added. On Thursday in Oslo, the Swedish Foreign Minister expressed the belief that his country meets all the conditions for NATO membership and called on Turkey and Hungary to lift their opposition.

“Sweden has fulfilled all the commitments we made at last year’s Madrid Summit, including new counterterrorism legislation,” stated Tobias Billström. “The time has come for Turkey and Hungary to begin ratifying Sweden’s accession to NATO.”

Meanwhile, Finland formally became the 31st member of the Alliance on April 4. “It has never been a sprint; it is a marathon, and we are now seeing the finish line,” Tobias Billström affirmed.