– The entry of Finland and Sweden into NATO creates new opportunities for cooperation that can strengthen security in our three countries. With this update, we can coordinate military operations in crisis and conflict situations as if Finland and Sweden were members of NATO. This is an important step in our Nordic cooperation, says Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram.

The agreement facilitates operational planning cooperation between the three countries to coordinate operations in North Calotte and is an update contracts from 2020 .

The agreement was signed by the Minister of Defense of Finland Antti Kaikkonen, the Minister of Defense of Sweden Pål Johnson and the Minister of Defense of Norway Bjørn Arild Gram in connection with the meeting Nordic Defense Ministers in Oslo. View the contract here.

Nordic support for Ukraine in the amount of EUR 1,7 billion

In total, the Nordic countries provided Ukraine with support worth approximately EUR 1,7 billion. This includes civil, humanitarian and military support.

In a joint statement Nordic defense ministers promise continued support for Ukraine's struggle for independence and continued arms and material transfers. We will not be stopped by Russian nuclear rhetoric or other forms of aggressive threats. The Russian invasion caused unimaginable suffering to the Ukrainian people and radically changed European and global security, write Nordic defense ministers.

Further development of Nordic defense cooperation

Norway, as the presiding country of NORDEFCO, initiated work this year on exploring the framework for Nordic defense cooperation after Finland and Sweden become NATO members. This is work that is done at both political and military levels. The Nordic countries agree to continue NORDEFCO and update cooperation in light of the membership of all Nordic countries in NATO.

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– We used the presidency period to discuss how to further develop NORDEFCO in the light of the new situation in security policy. We will certainly have more Nordic defense cooperation in the coming years. Russia's invasion of Ukraine showed the importance of NATO. Finland and Sweden as NATO members will usher in a new era in Nordic security policy. This will have consequences for the security in our immediate vicinity and for the defense of the Nordic countries. A concrete example of this is that Norway has taken the initiative to transform the Cold Response exercise in 2024 into Nordic Response. There we will test solutions for interaction, support for allied reception and reinforcement, and cooperation with our Nordic neighbors in an allied context, says Gram.

In 2023, Sweden will take over the chairmanship of NORDEFCO.

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Photo: Philip Linder, Air Force. The agreement was signed by Defense Ministers Bjørn Arild Gram (Norway), Anti Kaikkonen (Finland) and Pål Jonson (Sweden).

Source: regjeringen

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