Bilateral talks on visits to the regional defense and subarctic environment during the British Secretary of Defense’s visit to Sweden

Great Britain and Sweden and have extensive security and defense equipment cooperation covering bilateral and multilateral cooperation forms. Relations between the two countries are close and have deepened considerably in recent years, not through the joint declaration of the British-led Joint Travel Force (JEF). The JEF is a rapid reaction force that, in the event of a crisis, can focus on northern Europe and operate independently or within the framework of UN, NATO or EU action.

– Security and stability in our region of Europe are specially structured by cooperation with other countries, which also applies to bilateral and multilateral forums. Sweden’s visionary collaboration with the United Kingdom is a prime example of this, says Peter Hulkwist, adding that we’re collaborating in a variety of areas, from developing defense equipment to conducting joint military exercises.

In connection with Ben Wallace’s visit to Sweden during his visit to K4 in Arvidsjaur, the British Minister of Defense held bilateral discussions with the Minister of Defense, Peter Hultqvist. Among other things, the deteriorating security situation in the Baltic Sea, developments in the Arctic and international efforts in Mali were discussed. Cooperation within the framework of JEF and Future Combat Air System (FCAS) development was also discussed during the meeting between the two defense ministers.

– We have had very fruitful meetings and discussions on common challenges posed by security policy development in our immediate area. We also had the opportunity to demonstrate Sweden’s military capability in a sabarctic context in connection with the K4 visit to Arvidsjaur, which Peter Hultqvist says is unique.

During his visit to Sweden, Ben Wallace also met with representatives of the Armed Forces and the Swedish Ministry of Defense.