UPDATE - Stockholm In Constant Contact With Ankara On Sweden's Accession To NATO - Prime Minister

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st May, 2023) Stockholm has contacted Ankara on Sweden's accession to NATO after the second round of presidential election which took place in Turkey on Sunday, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Tuesday.

"Obviously, we have had several contacts also after the election runoff last Sunday. So, we are in constant contact with our Turkish counterparts on this specific issue," he said at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in the Swedish city of Lulea.

On the same day, Stoltenberg said that he held a telephone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during which the two discussed the ratification of Sweden's NATO bid.

"Good call with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. I congratulated him on the election. We discussed key issues for the upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius, continued support for Ukraine, strengthening our deterrence and defence and finalising Sweden's accession to NATO," Stoltenberg said on Twitter.

Sweden, along with Finland, submitted its NATO application in May 2022, several months after Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine. Finland's application was ratified by all 30 members of the alliance. Sweden's application is still pending approval from Hungary and Turkey, with the accession process stalled in part due to Quran-burning protests in Stockholm.