Foreign Secretary to reaffirm UK backing for Sweden to join Nato on visit to country

James Cleverly is expected to renew the UK's backing for Sweden to join the Nato military alliance, on a visit to the country this week.

The Foreign Secretary said it "must happen as soon as possible" to "make us all safer", as the war between Ukraine and Russia continues.

Mr Cleverly will travel to the island of Gotland which is strategically important as it is just 200 miles north of the home of Russia's Baltic fleet, Kaliningrad.

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During his visit, Mr Cleverly will meet Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom and hold a discussion on European security as part of Almedalen Week, an annual event on Gotland.

Ahead of the trip, he said: "The UK and Sweden relationship goes back over 1,000 years and plays an ever more pivotal role in European security today.

"My message to our Swedish friends is clear; the UK is doing all that we can to support their accession to Nato, which must happen as soon as possible to bolster our defences and make us all safer."

The Foreign Secretary will also meet Swedish defence minister Pal Jonson to discuss strengthening co-operation, including through joint exercises and training between the countries' armed forces.

Sweden and Finland applied to join Nato together following Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year.

Finland became the 31st member of the military alliance in April after the Turkish parliament ratified its request.

Turkey has, however, slowed down the process for Swedish membership of the alliance.

The Turkish government claims Sweden has been lenient towards groups it says pose a security threat, including militant Kurdish groups and others linked to a 2016 coup attempt.

Nato wants to bring Sweden into the fold by the time the leaders of member nations meet for a summit in Lithuania in July.