Erdogan, Biden Discuss Sweden's NATO Bid in Phone Call

President Joe Biden and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, discussed a range of issues in a phone call ahead of the upcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit, scheduled to take place later this week in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius.

According to a statement released by the White House on its website, the two presidents expressed their shared commitment to continuing support for Ukraine.

They also reviewed efforts to enhance bilateral relations, with President Biden expressing his desire to welcome Sweden into NATO at the earliest opportunity.

In a related context, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized during a phone call with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, that the time has come for Sweden to formally join the NATO alliance. The two officials discussed the forthcoming NATO summit in Vilnius, as well as the latest developments in the ongoing Russian military operation against Ukraine.

Secretary Blinken stressed the necessity for the United States and Turkey to strengthen their long-term defense cooperation.

Moreover, he highlighted the urgent need to renew the United Nations mechanism for cross-border humanitarian assistance to Syria for 12 months. Blinken expressed gratitude to Turkey for its leadership role in this matter.