Finland, Sweden prioritise boosting defence co-op

The Defence Ministers of Finland and Sweden on Monday underscored the importance of giving high priority to the continued development of bilateral defence cooperation between the neighbouring countries.

Minister of Defence Antti Kaikkonen and his Swedish counterpart Peter Hultqvist met in Helsinki and took part in a scenario-based exercise, said the Ministry of Defence in a press release.

They issued a joint statement where the Defence Ministers vowed to coordinate their actions in time of crisis and war.

“Sweden and Finland give high priority to the continued development of our bilateral defence cooperation. We are prepared to act together in peacetime and beyond it. We have bilateral operation plans and contingency measures, enabling us to coordinate our actions in times of crisis and war,” said the join statement.

During our meeting they discussed the international security situation and deepening bilateral defence cooperation between Finland and Sweden.

One element of the bilateral defence cooperation is table top exercises. The Swedish and Finnish Defence Ministers had such an exercise on Monday where Chiefs of Defence from Sweden and Finland also took part.

The exercise was based on a fictitious scenario of a conflict in the Baltic Sea Region. Its objective was to practice political decision-making and procedures for joint action.

“Table top exercises and other similar exercises reinforce the defence capability of our countries and increase our understanding of the possibilities and potential challenges of joint military operations,” the statement added.