Sweden hopes that dialogue with Turkey will strengthen relations and clear the way for NATO

BRUSSELS, 25 May. (EUROPE PRESS) -

The Swedish Prime Minister, Magdalena Andersson, has trusted this Wednesday that the ongoing dialogue with Turkey to address the security concerns that Ankara alleges to veto the start of negotiations for its accession to NATO will come to fruition.

"The dialogue with Turkey is underway and I hope to strengthen bilateral relations, including in matters of peace, security and the fight against terrorism," said the Swedish leader at a joint press conference with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, from Stockholm.

Andersson has avoided giving many details about the details of the negotiations, just on the day that the delegations of Sweden and Finland are in Ankara to address the reluctance expressed by the Turkish authorities, which alleges an alleged collusion of both Scandinavian nations with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Of course, the Social Democratic leader has pointed out that "she hopes to continue the talks" with Ankara and has thanked the support shown by the Twenty-seven for the intention of Stockholm and Helsinki to join NATO.

For his part, Michel limited himself to supporting Sweden's action to address Turkey's doubts and described the entry of Sweden and Finland into NATO as an "important step" that "opens a new chapter on the European continent". "I am convinced that its membership in NATO will make Europe more secure," he argued.

Currently, 21 of the 30 NATO allies are also members of the EU, so the accession of two more member states is expected to increase coordination between the two organizations and, in particular, increase security in the Baltic region, where the NATO maintains three combat battalions in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to deal with the Russian threat.