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SWEDEN AND FINLAND

Sweden and Finland will ‘complete journey into Nato together’

The prime ministers of Sweden and Finland have reiterated their countries' commitment to join the Nato security alliance together, despite the greater obstacles faced by Sweden in winning Turkey's acceptance.

Published: 28 October 2022 16:52 CEST
Sweden and Finland will 'complete journey into Nato together'
Finalnd's prime minister Sanna Marin and Sweden's prime minister Ulf Kristersson hold a joint press conference at the Villa Bjälbo in Helsingfors, Helsinki. Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/TT

“We will complete this journey together, and move in lockstep, just as we have the whole time,” Sweden’s new prime minister Ulf Kristersson said during a visit to his Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin in Helsinki. 

“It is extremely important for us that Finland and Sweden join Nato in lockstep, just as we have done in this process up until now,” Marin said after the two met at the Villa Bjälbo in the city. “Our membership is going to make the whole Alliance stronger.” 

During his visit, Kristersson also met Finland’s president Sauli Niinistö, who has also played an important role in bringing Sweden and Finland into the alliance. 

Finland’s prime minister Sanna Marin met her Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson at the Kesaranta prime minister official residence in Helsinki. Photo: Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva/AP/TT

The AFP newswire reported on Friday that Kristersson is expected to meet Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on November 8th to discuss Sweden’s moves to fulfil the demands of the trilateral agreement the three countries struck in June. 

Turkey and Hungary are the only two of Nato’s 30 members who have not yet ratified Sweden and Finland’s entry to the security alliance. 

After the meeting, Kristersson thanked Marin for a productive meeting, saying that he looked forward to continued cooperation “on our mutual security”, as well as on “forests, climate, energy, and other issues which will determine Europe’s competitiveness”. 

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SWEDEN AND GERMANY

What’s on the agenda for German chancellor’s visit to Sweden?

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in Sweden to discuss security and business competitiveness with his Nordic colleagues on a two-day visit.

Published: 13 May 2024 14:25 CEST
What's on the agenda for German chancellor's visit to Sweden?

Scholz was to visit the Stockholm headquarters of telecommunications giant Ericsson on Monday, accompanied by the prime ministers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

They were to “discuss security policy issues such as hybrid threats, civil preparedness and new technologies,” the Swedish government said in a statement.

A press conference was to follow just before 6pm.

“At a dinner that evening, discussions will centre on continued support to Ukraine,” the government said, as Russian troops launched a major ground operation against Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region amid Kyiv’s struggles with Western aid delays.

The Nordic countries and Germany have been among Ukraine’s biggest donors since Russia’s February 2022 invasion.

Berlin is the world’s second biggest donor to Ukraine, giving 14.5 billion euros so far, according to the Kiel Institute.

“Security policy and the upcoming Nato summit will top the agenda,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote in a piece published in financial daily Dagens Industri on Monday.

“Financial competitiveness issues” will also be discussed, he said, noting that “the Nordic region wants to play a key role in efforts to strengthen the European economy”.

On Tuesday, Kristersson and Scholz were scheduled to hold bilateral talks and visit the Norrsken Foundation, which supports young growth companies active in the green and digital transition.

Afterwards the two leaders were to sign a “strategic innovation partnership” between Germany and Sweden.

The visit was to be their first bilateral meeting since Sweden joined Nato in March 2024.

The next Nato summit will take place July 9th-11th in Washington.

“Sweden has, and must have, a clear international voice in the world,” Kristersson wrote in Dagens Industri.

The Scandinavian country has enjoyed decades of strong cooperation with Nordic and Baltic countries, and with intensified collaboration “with two other Baltic Sea countries, Poland and Germany, our region will be safer and stronger”, he said.

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