The NATO chief believes that Sweden and Finland fulfilled the agreement that the countries entered into with Turkey in connection with the NATO summit in July last year.
Jens Stoltenberg now hopes and believes that Turkey will ratify Sweden's application shortly.
- As soon as possible, but I don't know when the Turkish National Assembly will do it, says Jens Stoltenberg in connection with the People and Defense National Conference in Sälen.
The Swedish ratification process has been slowed down due to the demands that Turkey places on Sweden in connection with membership.
Demands that the Swedish government cannot approve.
- They want things that we cannot and do not want to give them, said Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) in a statement on Sunday.
Safer now
Despite protracted negotiations with Turkey, Sweden is a safer country now than before the application, Jens Stoltenberg believes.
NATO has increased its presence in the area and Sweden is increasingly integrated into the defense alliance's civil and military cooperation.
That Sweden would be exposed to threats from Russia without NATO reacting is currently unthinkable, says Jens Stoltenberg.
- Sweden has received bilateral security guarantees from the USA, Great Britain and many other NATO countries as part of the membership process, says Jens Stoltenberg.