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An agreement between Hungary and Sweden appears to have聽paved the way for Hungary鈥檚 likely ratification of Sweden鈥檚 NATO bid on Feb. 26, when a vote on the matter is scheduled in parliament. Unanimous support among all NATO members is required to admit new countries, and Hungary is the last of the alliance鈥檚 31 members that has still not given its backing.

The prime ministers of Hungary and Sweden concluded a defense industry agreement on Feb. 23 that will expand Budapest鈥檚 fleet of Swedish-built fighter jets, securing Hungary鈥檚 likely ratification of Sweden鈥檚 long-delayed NATO bid.

The meeting in Budapest between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb谩n and his Swedish counterpart, Ulf Kristersson, came after months of heightened tensions between the two countries over Hungary鈥檚 refusal to give its backing for Sweden to join NATO.

Mr. Kristersson made the trip to Hungary after repeated invitations to do so by the Hungarian government, something Mr. Orb谩n had hinted would be a precondition for his government endorsing Sweden鈥檚 NATO bid.

The Feb. 23 defense agreement appeared to be a decisive point of reconciliation between the two governments, and Mr. Orb谩n has indicated that his party is ready to approve Sweden鈥檚 bid on Feb. 26.

In a news conference following their bilateral meeting, Mr. Kristersson said Sweden would sell four Swedish-made JAS 39 Gripen jets to Hungary, expanding its current fleet of 14 jets. Sweden will also extend support systems and service provision for the jets.

鈥淚 strongly welcome this deepened cooperation on advanced fighting capabilities,鈥� Mr. Kristersson said, adding that the Gripen jets are 鈥渁 pride of Sweden.鈥�

Mr. Orb谩n said the additional fighters 鈥渨ill significantly increase our military capabilities and further strengthen our role abroad,鈥� and will grow Hungary鈥檚 ability to participate in joint NATO operations.

During Hungary鈥檚 more than 18 months of delays in scheduling a vote, Mr. Orb谩n had said his government was in favor of bringing Sweden into NATO, but that lawmakers in his governing Fidesz party were unconvinced 鈥� offended by 鈥渂latant lies鈥� from some Swedish politicians that he said had cast doubt on Hungary鈥檚 democratic credentials.

Hungary鈥檚 allies in NATO and the European Union had put increasing pressure on Budapest to drop its opposition to Sweden鈥檚 membership. Last weekend, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators visited Hungary and announced they would submit a joint resolution to Congress condemning alleged democratic backsliding, and urging Mr. Orb谩n鈥檚 government to immediately lift its block on Sweden鈥檚 trans-Atlantic integration.

Mr. Orb谩n鈥檚 critics in the EU have alleged that he has stalled on Sweden鈥檚 NATO bid to extract concessions from the bloc, which has frozen billions in funding to Hungary over alleged breaches of rule-of-law and democracy standards. The EU has demanded that Budapest take steps to safeguard judicial independence and human rights and tackle corruption.

Hungary鈥檚 government has railed against Swedish officials that supported freezing the funds, and blamed them for a breakdown in trust between the two countries.

On Feb. 23, Mr. Orb谩n said that while Hungary and Sweden don鈥檛 agree on all issues, building trust was essential to his country supporting Sweden鈥檚 joining of the alliance.

鈥淭o be a member of NATO together with another country means we are ready to die for each other,鈥� he said. 鈥淎 deal on defense and military capacities helps to reconstruct the trust between the two countries.鈥�

This story was reported by The Associated Press.聽