Sweden and Hungary have said they are “prepared to die for each other” as their prime ministers meet in Budapest for what has been described as Hungary preparing to remove the final barrier to the Nordic country joining Nato.

After months of diplomatic wrangling, Ulf Kristersson travelled to the Hungarian capital on Friday at the invitation of the prime minister, Viktor Orbán, for the highly anticipated meeting. His visit came days before Hungary’s parliament was expected to vote in favour of Sweden’s Nato ratification when it returns from its winter break on Monday.

The two leaders said they were ready to put their differences behind them in a warm but tightly stage-managed joint press conference, at talks that Stockholm hopes will finally put an end to Sweden’s Nato limbo.