Photo: Government Offices of Sweden

In 2019 Sweden holds the chairmanship of the Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO).

During the year, the Nordic ministers of Defence will conduct two ministerials and several meetings will be held on political and military levels.

Sweden’s priorities during its chairmanship will cover enhanced military cooperation as well as facilitation of armaments cooperation. In 2019 the Nordic countries also celebrates 10 years of defence cooperation within the NORDEFCO format.

The purpose and objective of the Nordic defence cooperation is to strengthen the Nordic countries’ national defence, explore common synergies and facilitate efficient common solutions.

On November 13 last year, the Nordic ministers signed a new vision for the Nordic defence cooperation which states the intention to improve the Nordic defence capability and cooperation in peace, crisis and conflict.

– The Nordic cooperation is central for Swedish defence and security policy. Our countries face similar security challenges and we share many security interests and positions. The Nordic region is an important geostrategic region and our defence cooperation contributes to a peaceful development and it raises the threshold for military conflicts and incidents in our region. says Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist.

Swedish priorities

During the Swedish NORDEFCO chairmanship 2019, Sweden will initiate the work to implement the Vision 2025, both by consolidating and further developing ongoing cooperation and by new initiatives. During the Swedish chairmanship 2019, special emphasis will be put on the following priorities:

•Highlight and promote Nordic defence cooperation during NORDEFCO´s 10th anniversary (2009-2019).

•Enhance the Nordic-Transatlantic relationship.

•Develop knowledge, share experiences and explore possibilities for cooperation within the area of Total Defence.

•Enhance NORDEFCO as a platform for crisis consultation between the Nordic Ministries of Defence and explore mechanisms for that purpose.

•Plan, conduct and continue to develop the Arctic Challenge Exercise into a recurring high intensive Air Combat Flag Level Exercise, as decided by the Ministers on the 9th of November
2016.

•Implement the NORECAS Memorandum of Understanding and explore the platform Black Carrier Network for broader cooperation.

•Continued implementation and development of cooperation within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding for Easy Access.

•Based on lessons learned from the Nordic Combat Uniform project, finalize Nordic Procurement Guidelines and facilitate dissemination of the guidelines in the Nordic countries.

•Investigate how monitoring and facilitation of armaments cooperation may be enhanced.

•Discuss and if possible coordinate Nordic armaments and defence industry cooperation regarding the European Defence Industrial Development Programme and the European
Defence Fund.

Swedish Government