Pål Jonson

Speech by Minister for Defence Pål Jonson at the Swedish National Day reception organised by the Embassy of Sweden in the Philippines on 6 June 2024 in Manila. Check against delivery.

On 13–14 June, Pål Jonson will take part in a meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence in Brussels for the first time since Sweden became a full member of NATO. The agenda includes discussions about NATO’s deterrence and defence capabilities and preparations ahead of the NATO Summit in Washington DC in July.

The Government has decided to contribute aircraft to NATO Air Policing. The Swedish Armed Forces will thus have leeway to provide aircraft in the near future to carry out aerial surveillance under NATO’s command.

The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) is once again increasing its presence in the Baltic Sea and the North Atlantic to help protect critical underwater infrastructure.

Today, 29 May, the Government is presenting its 16th and largest military support package to Ukraine to date since Russia’s full-scale invasion began. Sweden will provide Ukraine with a completely new capability to strengthen its collective air defence. The package, which will be part of an upcoming additional amending budget, amounts to SEK 13.3 billion and will meet Ukraine’s prioritised needs.

Minister for Defence Pål Jonson will travel to Singapore, Australia and the Philippines in the first week of June. He will participate in the Shangri-La Dialogue international defence summit and several bilateral meetings.

Innovative emerging and disruptive technologies that benefit defence and security are of central importance amid the intensifying political, ideological and economic tensions shaping the international situation. The Government is now presenting a strategic approach for defence innovation that collects and clarifies political ambitions and measures going forward. This strategic approach creates conditions to accelerate and mutually strengthen innovation in the military and civilian sectors, contributing to Sweden’s defence capability and innovative capacity, increased competitiveness and enhanced security.

The Government has decided to submit the Agreement on Defense Cooperation bill between Sweden and the United States to the Swedish Riksdag. The agreement complements Sweden’s NATO accession and strengthens the country’s defence by facilitating US military presence in Sweden.

On 5 March, Swedish Minister for Defence Pål Jonson and German Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius signed a letter of intent on deeper defence cooperation between Sweden and Germany.

In connection with the NORDEFCO ministerial meeting on 29–30 April in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, the Nordic defence ministers signed Vision 2030, a steering document on Nordic defence cooperation going forward. 

The King and Queen of Denmark will pay a State Visit to Sweden on 6–7 May 2024 at the invitation of His Majesty The King.

The Swedish Government has decided to task the Armed Forces with planning and preparing Swedish participation in NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence, Forward Land Forces (FLF), in Latvia. The contribution will consist of a force equalling the size of a reduced battalion of 600 soldiers. It will be part of a brigade led by Canada beginning in early 2025.

On 29–30 April, Mr Jonson will travel to the Faroe Islands to take part in the Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO) meeting of defence ministers, held in Tórshavn.

On Monday 22 April, Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström and Minister for Defence Pål Jonson are taking part in the Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and Sudan are on the agenda.

The European Commission has decided to provide financial support to industrial projects aimed at increasing ammunition production capacity. The Swedish Government has decided to co-finance one of the projects, provided that the Commission granted support. This project, run by the Nammo Sweden AB company, could eventually triple the capacity for filling artillery shells in the coming years.

Sweden intends to provide EUR 30 million in support for a Czech ammunition initiative for artillery shells to Ukraine. The Government has authorised the Defence Materiel Administration to negotiate and enter into an agreement with the responsible authority in Czechia.

On Monday 11 March, Sweden’s flag was raised at NATO headquarters in Brussels. Together with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, a number of Ministers of the Swedish Government also took part. HRH Crown Princess Victoria, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Micael Bydén and the leaders of the Social Democrats, Sweden Democrats and Centre Party were in attendance as well.

On 5 March, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson received his German counterpart Boris Pistorius.

On 23 February, Sweden and Hungary entered into an agreement under which Hungary will purchase four new Gripen aircraft from Sweden. The agreement was signed when Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Minister for Defence Pål Jonson visited Budapest.

Today, two years have passed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Swedish Government considers support to Ukraine in the coming years to be its foremost foreign policy task. Sweden will continue to provide political, humanitarian, military and financial support to Ukraine for as long as it takes.