Estonian Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur met with Swedish Minister for Defence Pål Jonson in Stockholm on 19 August to discuss strengthening defence cooperation between Estonia and Sweden, the defence of NATO’s eastern flank, and enhancing regional security.
“Sweden’s accession to NATO has significantly strengthened security across the region and provided an even stronger foundation for our defence cooperation. Sweden clearly understands the danger posed by Russia and takes the defence of Europe and NATO’s eastern flank very seriously. We also hope that airspace restrictions will soon be lifted, allowing Swedish aircraft to operate, if necessary, without restrictions in the airspace of other NATO member states. Estonia, for its part, has taken all necessary steps to ensure that there are no restrictions on Swedish aircraft entering our airspace,” said Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur.
“We are also equally committed to continued support for Ukraine. This year, both Estonia and Sweden are directing more than 0.25 per cent of GDP towards military support for Ukraine, and we call on all Allies to do the same. Sweden is supporting Ukraine with as much as 0.5 per cent of its GDP. Sweden has also set a firm goal of increasing its defence spending,” Pevkur said.
Sweden has made a significant contribution to the IT Coalition, led by Estonia and Luxembourg, as well as to the procurement of weapons for Ukraine through the PURL mechanism. Sweden has also joined the Legio support mechanism led by Poland, under which Ukraine is supported through the delivery of weapons and equipment as well as the training of Ukrainian defence personnel.
Sweden also participates in the European Union’s Eastern Flank Watch initiative, under which it works closely with Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Finland.
Pevkur also met with the Estonian community in Stockholm. “I am pleased to see how deeply the security of Estonia matters to Estonians living abroad and how willing they are to find ways to contribute to their homeland,” the Minister commented.
In addition, the Minister met with Peter Hultqvist, Chair of the Swedish Parliament’s Defence Committee, and took part in the “Unleashed” conference on 20 August on the future and cooperation of the Nordic and Baltic countries.