Sweden and Finland to bolster military co-operation

Radio Sweden
Posted: Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at 16:23 — Last Updated: Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 20:54
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(L-R) Finland's Defence Minister Carl Haglund, Sweden's counterpart Peter Hultqvist, Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom and Finnish counterpart Erkki Tuomioja pose for a photo upon arrival for a dinner at the government headquarters Rosenbad, in Stockholm, Sweden, on November 10, 2014. (Pontus Lundahl/AFP/Getty Images) — (L-R) Finland’s Defence Minister Carl Haglund, Sweden’s counterpart Peter Hultqvist, Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom and Finnish counterpart Erkki Tuomioja pose for a photo upon arrival for a dinner at the government headquarters Rosenbad, in Stockholm, Sweden, on November 10, 2014. (Pontus Lundahl/AFP/Getty Images)

Sweden and Finland are to intensify their military co-operation, both country’s defence ministers announced on Tuesday.

A joint study by both Finnish and Swedish armed forces has proposed the two Nordic nations create a joint naval task force, as well as a joint army brigade. Both navies should be allowed to use each other’s naval bases, the study suggests.

Swedish Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist calls the proposals: “A new important step forward in Finno-Swedish co-operation”, adding that the plans do not add up to a military alliance between the two nations.

Both Sweden and Finland are currently non-aligned, the only countries around the Baltic Sea not members of NATO, apart from Russia.