BUDAPEST, Jan 23, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on 
Tuesday invited his Swedish counterpart to Budapest to discuss the Nordic 
country's NATO accession bid, which still needs approval from Hungary and 
Turkey.

Turkey's parliament is expected to vote this week to ratify Sweden's bid to 
join the Western defence alliance after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"Today I sent an invitation letter to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson for a 
visit to Hungary to negotiate on Sweden's NATO accession," Orban wrote on X, 
formerly Twitter.

Turkey's ratification would leave Hungary as the last holdout.

Budapest has often denounced what it called Stockholm's "openly hostile 
attitude", accusing Swedish representatives of being "repeatedly keen to bash 
Hungary" on rule-of-law issues.

Kristersson's office did not immediately reply to a request for comment on 
Orban's invitation when contacted by AFP.

Last week, Hungary criticised Sweden for not having taken any steps to 
strengthen bilateral relations.

Orban's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, on Thursday suggested the Swedish 
government "should get in touch, ask what concerns the Hungarian parliament 
has and what they can do about it".

Hungary's opposition has been pressing the government to schedule a vote. The 
Hungarian Socialist Party in a fresh statement Tuesday asked Orban "to stop 
this stupid, harmful and unnecessary charade".

Hungary has repeatedly insisted it supports Sweden's bid but has continuously 
dragged its feet arranging a vote in parliament to ratify the bid. 

In September, Orban told parliament that ratifying Sweden's NATO bid was not 
"urgent" and demanded "respect" from the Nordic country, a fellow EU member.