Vilnius, 10 July 2023 (dpa/MIA) — Turkey agreed to submit Sweden's NATO membership bid for ratification to the Turkish parliament as soon as possible, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday in Vilnius.

Stoltenberg met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on the eve of the NATO summit to overcome the months-long deadlock.

A joint statement issued by the three leaders does not state how much time the Turkish parliament has to ratify Sweden's bid.

The surprise announcement comes after Erdoğan linked earlier on Monday Sweden's entry to NATO with the revival of Turkey's stalled membership talks with the European Union.

In the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership in May 2022. Finland has been a member of the alliance since April 2023, while Sweden still lacks Turkey and Hungary's approval.