Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Tuesday he was "very happy" with Türkiye's green light to Sweden's NATO membership bid, News.az reports.

On Monday, NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg said Turkey agreed to back Sweden’s bid to join the military alliance. Previously, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had suggested Sweden could only join the alliance after his country was accepted into the European Union.

Kristersson told reporters before the start of the NATO summit in Lithuania that Sweden "has a lot to bring to the table as well."

"It’s well-known that Sweden, after 200 years of non-alignment, we seek common protection. But I also want all NATO allies to know that we also provide security, provide common security. And we are here for the long term," he said.