NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (left) greets Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban during arrivals for a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, July 11, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

BUDAPEST - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Wednesday pledged to urge his country's National Assembly to ratify Sweden's NATO accession.

"Just finished a phone call with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. I reaffirmed that the Hungarian government supports the NATO membership of Sweden. I also stressed that we will continue to urge the Hungarian National Assembly to vote in favor of Sweden's accession and conclude the ratification at the first possible opportunity," Orban wrote on social media platform X.

The Hungarian Parliament is set to reconvene in the second half of February

With Türkiye's ratification on Tuesday, Hungary remains the only NATO member country that hasn't approved Sweden's application.

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Stoltenberg tweeted shortly after his talks with Orban: "Good call with PM Viktor Orban of Hungary. I welcome the clear support of the Prime Minister and his government for Sweden's NATO membership. I look forward to the ratification as soon as parliament reconvenes."

The Hungarian Parliament is set to reconvene in the second half of February.

The Hungarian government submitted the draft resolution required for the ratification of Sweden's NATO accession to parliament in July 2022.

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Following Ankara's approval, Orban sent an invitation letter to his Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson asking him to visit Hungary for talks on Sweden's NATO integration and strengthening bilateral relations.