The secretary general has expressed hope that the sides will reach a political decision on the matter before the upcoming NATO summit.
Vilnius will host the NATO summit from July 11-12. Stoltenberg will chair the meeting. Discussions on Ukraine's NATO prospects, strengthening the alliance's eastern flank and defense spending are expected to top the summit agenda.
Sweden and Finland submitted their applications to join the alliance in May 2022, soon after Russia launched the special military operation in Ukraine. In April, Finland's application was ratified by all 30 members of the alliance. Sweden's application is still pending approval by Hungary and Turkey, with the accession process stalled in part due to two controversial Quran-burning demonstrations in Stockholm. The latest took place on June 28, the first day of the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, when a copy of the Quran was burned outside Stockholm's main mosque.