Helsinki [Finland]March 16 (ANI / Sputnik): Finland and Sweden strive to increase bilateral security cooperation in the midst of a changing security environment in the region, the Finnish Ministry of the Interior said on Wednesday.
Sweden’s Minister of Justice and Home Affairs Morgan Johansson will meet his Finnish counterpart Krista Mikkonen later in the day as part of his visit to Helsinki. The parties will consider strengthening bilateral cooperation in civil preparedness, civil protection, policing and coastguard operations, the statement said.
“We face complex global challenges for our security. Finland and Sweden are preparing for these challenges in close cooperation at both the political and public service levels. The challenges include not only changes in the security environment but also climate change and vulnerabilities in the increasingly digital area. Society”, Mikkonen was quoted in the statement before the meeting.
Johansson, for his part, said that the two countries face different threats, including a deteriorating security situation in neighboring countries.
“Our societies face many different threats that we must address. The pandemic has been a challenge for both our countries, and the climate crisis is a global challenge. And now the security situation in our immediate areas is weakening,” Johansson was quoted as saying. as stated in the same statement.
The statement added that in the wake of the recent security shift, it has become increasingly important that co-operation between Finland and Sweden is “close, intensive and direct at all levels.” In 2021, the countries have expanded their cooperation on issues related to civil preparedness to the European Union and NATO, as well as in the field of joint exercises, statistics and research, the ministry added. (ANI / Sputnik)