NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the Turkish Parliament's Foreign Relations Committee's approval of Sweden's accession protocol to NATO, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday citing the alliance's chief.
Stoltenberg underscored in the reported statement that he counts on Ankara and Budapest to "complete their ratifications as soon as possible," adding that Sweden's membership will make the alliance "stronger." Namely, the Turkish General Assembly has the final say on Sweden's NATO bid.
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom also hailed the decision by the Turkish parliamentary, saying that Stockholm is "looking forward" to becoming a member of NATO.