Ministry of Defence

The Nordic defence ministers will gather on Gotland on 9–10 April in the framework of the Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO). The agenda for the meeting includes total defence issues, regional security and the follow-up of the vision for Nordic defence cooperation amongst other. In conjunction to the meeting Finland, Norway and Sweden will sign an annex concerning security of supply, which constitutes a part of a wider Nordic defence materiel cooperation agreement. At the same time, Denmark will declare its intent to sign the annex.

Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist took part in a ministers meeting in London on 3 April within the framework of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF). The meeting included a scenario-based discussion and discussions related to the upcoming JEF exercise Baltic Protector, in which Sweden will participate.

India’s Minister of Defence Nirmala Sitharaman visited Sweden on 13 February for meetings with Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist. The purpose of the visit was to sign a security protection agreement between Sweden and India.

During a ceremony in Stockholm, Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist and India’s Minister of Defence Nirmala Sitharaman will sign a security protection agreement between Sweden and India.

The Government today appointed 31 state secretaries at the Government Offices. Former state secretaries have been dismissed from their positions. Most of the state secretaries have previously held corresponding positions at the Government Offices.

In 2019 Sweden holds the chairmanship of the Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO). During the year, the Nordic ministers of Defence will conduct two ministerials and several meetings will be held on political and military levels. Sweden’s priorities during its chairmanship will cover enhanced military cooperation as well as facilitation of armaments cooperation. In 2019 the Nordic countries also celebrates 10 years of defence cooperation within the NORDEFCO format.

Rescue services, government agencies and local authorities are engaged in intensive efforts in response to the forest fires raging around the country, the widespread drought and the ongoing heat wave. More information about these efforts is available below. Crisis preparedness is part of the remit of every government agency and authority.

The prolonged heat and drought have impacted many sectors of society. There have been numerous forest fires, the agricultural sector has been severely affected by the drought and groundwater levels have dropped. The extreme temperatures can also cause health problems, especially among older people and the sick. The Government is following developments closely and taking the necessary decisions. The Government Offices is in continuous contact with the responsible government agencies.

During a ceremony in Turku, on 9 July, Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist and Finnish Minister of Defence Jussi Niinistö signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding the Swedish-Finnish Defence Cooperation. The agreement provides common political guidance for the defence cooperation.

On June 28, the Swedish government tasked the Swedish Armed Forces to take part in the German-led Framework Nations Concept.

Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist visited London on 27-28 June. Together with his colleagues within the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) Minister Hultqvist signed a memorandum of understanding through which JEF reaches full operational capability.

State secretary Jan Salestrand participated in the first Polish-Swedish roundtable on security policy on 4-5 June.

Defence ministers of the Northern Group security and defence policy forum held a meeting in The Hague on 6 June. Among other things, ministers discussed the security policy situation in Northern Europe.

Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist received his Dutch colleague Ank Bijleveld-Schouten in Stockholm on 24 May. The ministers discussed bilateral defence relations and the security situation in the Baltic Sea region, among other themes.

Sweden hosted a Nordic Defence Industry Seminar, NDIS 2018, in Stockholm on 22 to 24 May 2018. The focus of the seminar was “Ensuring Future Capabilities – Nordic Armaments Cooperation in a Competitive and International Context”. The NDIS 2018 event included seminars and panel discussions with various perspectives on Nordic armaments cooperation. The seminar is organised every two years within the framework of Nordic defence cooperation (NORDEFCO).

On 22 May, Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist met Denmark’s Minister of Defence Claus Hjort Frederiksen in Copenhagen. During their meeting the ministers discussed bilateral defence cooperation, regional security and multilateral cooperation.

Minister of Defence Peter Hultqvist met on May 8th 2018 with United States Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Finland’s Minister for Defence Jussi Niinistö in Washington to sign a trilateral Statement of Intent (SOI).

Minister of Defence Peter Hultqvist will make a working visit to Washington on 7 to 10 May 2018. He will meet the United States Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Finland’s Minister for Defence Jussi Niinistö.

The Inquiry on legal regulation of the defence cooperation with Finland proposes that the Government should be given powers to take certain decisions on providing and receiving military support within the framework of the Swedish–Finnish defence cooperation.

On 24 April, Minister of Defence Peter Hultqvist attended the ongoing multinational crisis management exercise Viking 18 in Uppsala. Viking 18 is the world’s largest exercise of its kind and gathers 2 500 participants from over 60 countries.