(Bloomberg) -- Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wants Hungary to approve his country’s NATO bid before accepting an invitation to meet Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest.

A polite rebuff reinforces the Nordic nation’s position that its accession to the military alliance isn’t up for negotiation.

The Hungarian leader has said the visit is needed to convince his ruling party lawmakers to back ratification. Hungary is the only country standing in the way of Sweden joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization after Turkey ratified its bid last month. 

“The most natural thing is to come to Budapest after the ratification,” Kristersson told reporters on the sidelines of a European Union summit in Brussels, where he met Orban on Thursday. 

Sweden’s membership is seen as crucial for the defense alliance to improve its ability to defend an eastern flank that expanded following Finland’s admission last April. The two Nordic nations applied to join shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began almost two years ago.

Kristersson and Orban met after EU leaders convinced the Hungarian premier to drop his veto on €50 billion ($54 billion) aid package for Ukraine.

“There is nothing to negotiate about, but there are a lot of things to discuss,” including on cooperation on Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets that Hungary uses in its air force, Kristersson told reporters.

Orban made no demands in exchange for ratification of the Swedish bid to NATO, according to Kristersson. No date has yet been set for a meeting.

Orban’s invitation was seen in Hungary as a face-saving step for the leader, who had earlier pledged ratification before Turkey and who has struggled to explain his opposition to Sweden’s accession.

--With assistance from Andras Gergely.

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