A delegation of Hungarian politicians is visiting Helsinki on Wednesday to meet with Finnish MPs ahead of a vote by the Hungarian Parliament on Finland's application to join Nato.
After the meeting, Finland's Speaker of Parliament Matti Vanhanen (Cen) said that Hungary has a clear understanding that Finland wants to help strengthen the alliance.
"The delegation did not confirm a concrete schedule, so no exact date was given [for Hungarian ratification]. It is up to the Hungarian Parliament to decide. We had a conversation that helped to clear the air," Vanhanen said, adding that Finland fully meets Nato's membership criteria.
He further noted that the Hungarian delegation said it hoped for more dialogue in the future, as the last parliamentary delegation visit between the two countries occurred eight years ago.
So far, 28 of the alliance's 30 member states have ratified the Finnish and Swedish bids, with Hungary and Turkey the only countries yet to give the Nordic nations a green light.
Only one party against Finland's Nato membership
The Deputy Speaker of the Hungarian Parliament Csaba Hende, who is leading the delegation, said that all parliamentary parties except one support Finland's Nato bid.
"The date will be confirmed when the Hungarian Parliament decides on ratification. International treaties take time to process," Hende said.
He added that he hoped to learn more about Finland's position on matters related to Nato membership during the delegation's visit.
"Nato could also mean Hungarian soldiers coming to Finland and spilling their blood for Finland," the Hungarian Speaker of Parliament told Yle.
Finnish criticism of Hungary also discussed
Juho Eerola (Finns), one of the Deputy Speakers of Finland's Parliament, said the Hungarian guests did not mince their words when it came to Finland's actions towards what was viewed as Hungary's transgressions against the EU's rule of law.
"Some degree of flack came [from the Hungarians]. Certain Finnish politicians in the European Parliament and also here at home have intervened in Hungary's domestic politics, or this is what we heard," Eerola said.
According to Eerola, the Hungarians mentioned some current and former Finnish ministers and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) by name.
The National Coalition Party (NCP) also drew criticism from the visiting politicians, Eerola added, as the NCP was deemed to have been at the forefront of pushing for the expulsion of Fidesz, the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's party, from the European People's Party (EPP) group in the European Parliament.
"The NCP was cited as having been instrumental in getting Fidez kicked out of the EPP," Eerola said.
He noted however that the Hungarian MPs stressed their criticism had no connection to the ratification of Finland's Nato membership.
"But they were discussed at the same time. They are not necessarily linked, but these are issues that are clearly a source of irritation in Hungary. They are very annoyed that the long and stable relationship that Finland and Hungary have had over the past ten years has suffered from interference in Hungary's internal political affairs," Eerola commented.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Antti Rinne (SDP) also told Yle that even though the Hungarian delegation was critical of Finland's relations towards Hungary over the past decade, they do not tie that in with Finland's Nato application.
"Some things they feel are either misunderstandings or negative statements. They are ready to have a conversation about how they see the situation. Nato membership, on the other hand, was a completely separate discussion," Rinne said.
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