Peter Hultqvist

Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist attended a meeting of NATO defence ministers on 18 June concerning the affect the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the Alliance’s members and partner countries. The meeting was also attended by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, as well as the defence ministers of Finland and Australia.

On 18 June, Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist met German Minister of Defence Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and the defence ministers of the Nordic countries via video link. From Denmark Minister of Defence Trine Bramsen took part, from Norway Minister of Defence Frank Bakke-Jensen and from Finland Minister of Defence Antti Kaikkonen.

Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist attended the UK NATO Heads of Mission’s Forum on Monday 15 June 2020. The event was hosted by the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Sweden and Ambassador Judith Gough. The main theme of the conference focused on disinformation and cyber security.

Stockholm 15 June 2020. Check against delivery.

Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist met his colleagues in the Northern Group security and defence policy forum on 20 May. On the agenda was the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on national and allied military capabilities and preparedness.

Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist attended a video conference meeting of NATO defence ministers on 15 April to discuss the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Finland’s defence minister and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell also attended.

The EU defence ministers held a video conference on 6 April. They discussed the latest developments and national responses to COVID-19. Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist took part in the video conference from Stockholm.

6 April 2020 Check against delivery.

Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist participated on March 30 in a teleconference with the other Nordic defence ministers within the framework of the Nordic defence cooperation NORDEFCO. The Danish Defence Minister Trine Bramsen hosted the meeting. The focus of the ministers' discussions was on the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist attended on 27 March a telephone conference with five other European Defense Ministers and the Defense Ministers in Mali and Niger to discuss a Task Force in the southeastern Mali - operation Takuba. The meeting, which was chaired by the French Minister for the Armed Forces Florence Parly, was held remotely due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Chatham House, 12 March 2020. As prepared. Check against delivery.

Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist meets with Britain's Minister for Defence Procurement Jeremy Quin in London on 11 March. The agenda includes discussing regional security in Northern Europe, the joint Future Combat Air Systems Cooperation (FCASC), the defence cooperation Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) and the upcoming Swedish defence exercise Aurora 20. Peter Hultqvist will also be the keynote speaker at the conference "A New Era of Strategic Competition" at the think tank Chatham House.

Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist visited Karlskrona together with his Finnish counterpart Antti Kaikkonen on 9–10 March. The ministers discussed the security situation in the Baltic Sea region, bilateral defence cooperation, coming exercises, international missions and other issues of common interest.

On Wednesday 19 February, Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist received Hungary’s Minister of Defence Tibor Benkö at Karlberg Palace for a bilateral meeting.

Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist attended the Munich Security Conference (MSC) from 14 to 16 February. This year’s theme was “Is the world becoming less Western?”.

Munich, 15 February 2020 Check against delivery.

Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist attended a working dinner of NATO Defence Ministers in Brussels on 12 February. EU-NATO cooperation and common security challenges were on the agenda.

On Wednesday 19 February, Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist will receive Hungary’s Minister of Defence Tibor Benkö at Karlberg Palace for a bilateral meeting.

The Government decided on 6 February to refer a proposal to the Council on Legislation on operational military support between Sweden and Finland. The legislative proposal aims, among other things, to enable faster decisions on providing and receiving operational military support within the framework of Swedish-Finnish defence cooperation.

Sweden’s year as chair of the Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO) was summarised when the Nordic defence ministers met in Stockholm on 19 November. "In 2019, Sweden and our Nordic neighbours have jointly laid the foundation for closer dialogue in the event of a serious crisis or conflict in our region. We have strengthened our ability to reach a common understanding of the security situation during a crisis", says Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist.