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    • Sweden getting closer to NATO membership is 'pretty exciting' for Canada: Blair

    NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg displays documents as Sweden and Finland applied for membership in Brussels, Belgium, May 18, 2022. (Johanna Geron, Pool via AP) NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg displays documents as Sweden and Finland applied for membership in Brussels, Belgium, May 18, 2022. (Johanna Geron, Pool via AP)
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    OTTAWA -

    Sweden is inching closer to joining NATO, and Defence Minister Bill Blair says that's "pretty exciting" for Canada.

    Sweden and Finland both asked to join the alliance after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago -- something that requires unanimous consent of all members.

    Finland became a member last April, but Hungary and Turkey opposed Sweden's bid to join until recently.

    Turkey's parliament voted in support of Sweden on Tuesday.

    And Hungary's prime minister now says he has affirmed his country's support to NATO's secretary-general.

    Once it becomes an ally, Sweden plans to send soldiers to join a Canadian-led battle group in Latvia that's being scaled up to a brigade.

    "Sweden has already indicated that they're going to be sending a battalion into Latvia," Blair said in an interview.

    He said Canada's allies have expressed very strong support for Sweden's bid to join. "I think they're going to be a hugely important partner."

    The battle group was set up in 2017 and has 1,700 soldiers, about 1,000 of whom are Canadian. It's one of eight on NATO's eastern flank that the alliance has agreed to bolster in response to Russia's aggression.

    The federal government announced plans last summer to increase Canada's presence in Latvia -- already the Armed Forces' largest international deployment -- to 2,200 troops by 2026.

    In a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he spoke with NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg Wednesday.

    "I reaffirmed that the Hungarian government supports the NATO-membership of Sweden," he said.

    "I also stressed that we will continue to urge the Hungarian National Assembly to vote in favour of Sweden's accession and conclude the .ratification at the first possible opportunity."

    Hungary's parliament is scheduled to reconvene on Feb. 26.

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 24, 2024.

    -- With files from The Associated Press.

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