By Atila Altuntas and Melike Pala
STOCKHOLM (AA) – Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom on Thursday affirmed the strength of Sweden's relations with Türkiye, highlighting the enhanced alliance through their shared NATO membership.
In an interview with Anadolu in Stockholm, Billstrom expressed his optimism regarding the bilateral relations.
"We have excellent relations with Türkiye because we are now full military allies thanks to our NATO membership," Billstrom said, underscoring the close cooperation between the two nations.
He also mentioned that he plans to meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan at the NATO Summit in Washington, which is scheduled for July 9-11.
He also discussed the progress of the security agreement reached at the trilateral meeting in Vilnius, Lithuania, which included Türkiye, Sweden, and NATO.
"Personally, I feel that things are progressing as planned," he remarked, expressing his satisfaction with the current developments.
Looking ahead to the NATO Summit, Billstrom expressed his eagerness to engage in discussions with his Turkish counterpart.
"I look forward to meeting and discussing with my counterpart Hakan Fidan as soon as possible, hopefully at the NATO Summit in Washington next week," he said.
Addressing Sweden's stance on the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Billstrom reiterated his country's call for a humanitarian cease-fire.
"Sweden has always been in favor of ensuring a humanitarian cease-fire as soon as possible, releasing all captives, and returning to negotiations for a two-state solution where Israel and Palestine exist side by side as states, with the rest of the world providing security guarantees to both peoples," he said.
His comments reflect Sweden's long-standing commitment to a peaceful resolution in the region, advocating for the security and coexistence of both Israeli and Palestinian states.
