Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström’s trip to Washington to present Sweden’s NATO membership application to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been postponed for several days, reports 27 Dagens Nyheter (DN), citing his sources in several NATO countries and in Stockholm.
Sweden’s entry into NATO will not occur this week. Although the Hungarian parliament approved the request on February 27, the documents were never signed. Therefore, the official entry and the ceremonies in Washington and Brussels have been postponed, sources told the publication. The delay means, according to DN diplomatic sources, that it could be one or more weeks before Sweden becomes a full member of NATO.
It is reported that on February 26, the Swedish Embassy in Washington invited guests to celebrate Sweden’s upcoming entry into NATO. According to the invitation, this would take place at the embassy on the afternoon of February 28, American time, and in the presence of Foreign Minister Billström. On February 27, Urban Alin announced in an email to guests that Sweden’s entry “it won’t happen this week”and therefore the celebration is postponed.
It was assumed that as soon as the Speaker or President of Hungary signed a document ratifying Sweden’s NATO accession protocol, it would be handed over to the United States. Then NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg would welcome Sweden to the alliance. After this, the Swedish government, in an extraordinary meeting, would be ready to make a decision on Sweden’s accession to NATO. Billström then had to deliver the document on Sweden’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty to the US Secretary of State, Antony Blingken, in Washington.
According to DN sources, Billström was scheduled to communicate the decision to join NATO to his American counterpart no later than March 1 at noon US time. At this point, Sweden will become a member of NATO. After this, Billström was to fly to Brussels, where a solemn ceremony was planned, during which the flag of NATO’s 32nd country would be raised in front of the alliance’s headquarters.
The reason plans are changing is that Hungary has not yet signed the parliamentary decision. The president’s signature is required and on February 27, the new president of Hungary, Tamás Szújok, was elected, who will take office on March 5.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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