Increased protection for the civilian population in the Baltic Sea and Nordic region

Under such circumstances, the need may arise to temporarily evacuate people from one location to another. Experience from Ukraine has shown that temporary movements of populations enable the continued defence of the country while protecting the civilian population. 

On 6 February, Sweden hosted a digital meeting attended by representatives of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Poland. In connection with the meeting the countries, and also Germany, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation of the protection of the civilian population.

“We are NATO members and neighbours who are mutually dependent on each other for our security. This MoU expresses our desire to further deepen cooperation in our region and to strengthen our joint preparedness,” says Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin.

The MoU aims to improve the protection of the civilian population in the event of a major crisis or, in the worst-case scenario, war. The signatory countries will jointly plan for how an evacuation of people across land borders can be carried out. This includes reviewing transport, border controls, evacuation corridors, the reception and registration of people, and the protection of particularly vulnerable groups.