The Hungarian Parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden's accession to NATO (Anatolia Agency)
On Monday, the Hungarian Parliament approved the decision to join Sweden in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), thus removing the last obstacle to this Scandinavian country joining the alliance.
By joining NATO, Sweden puts an end to 200 years of its policy of military neutrality.
188 deputies in the Hungarian Parliament voted in favor of the decision, while only 6 deputies opposed it. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had announced that his country would approve the decision.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson described the vote as a "historic day" and said that his country is ready to assume its responsibilities with regard to Euro-Atlantic security.
Last January, Turkey agreed to Sweden joining NATO after previously giving the green light for Finland to join the alliance.
Russia has repeatedly warned of negative repercussions of Sweden and Finland joining NATO, and has also warned the alliance of serious consequences if it annexes Ukraine.
Source: Al Jazeera + agencies