Sweden and NATO

On Tuesday 23 May, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson will take part in the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting with defence ministers in Brussels.

On Wednesday 19 April, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson will receive United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III. The visit will take place at the Muskö Naval Base, where the ministers will convene for a bilateral meeting, hold a joint press conference and take part in a demonstration of the Swedish Armed Forces’ military capabilities.

Today the Government has presented investment proposals that will be included in its Spring Amending Budget. The proposals aim to create conditions for the continued growth of Sweden’s military defence and make preparations for NATO membership. Increased appropriations totalling SEK 660 million are proposed in the Spring Amending Budget for 2023. In addition, it is proposed that the Swedish Armed Forces’ authorisation to place orders be increased by SEK 16.78 billion.

All NATO member countries have now ratified Finland’s application, and Finland will thereby become a full member in the coming days.

On Tuesday 7 March, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson received NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. In connection with the visit, Mr Kristersson invited the leaders of the parties in the Riksdag who support Sweden’s NATO accession to a joint meeting with Mr Stoltenberg. At an extraordinary government meeting on Tuesday evening, the Government also took the formal decision to present the NATO bill to the Riksdag.

The government bill is an important step on the path to NATO membership. The Riksdag’s approval is required for Sweden to accede to NATO.

Today, the Government presented a bill proposing that the Riksdag approve Sweden’s accession to NATO. The bill is an important step on the path to Swedish NATO membership. Following the Riksdag’s approval, Sweden can become a full NATO member country once all of the member countries have ratified Sweden’s Accession Protocol.

(Updated) On Tuesday 7 March, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will hold a press briefing with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The briefing will take place after the meeting between Mr Stoltenberg and the party leaders in the Riksdag supporting Sweden’s application to join NATO.

On 15 February, Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström presented the 2023 Statement of Foreign Policy in the Riksdag. Check against delivery.

Opening speech by the Minister for Defence Pål Jonson at the conference on security and defence within the framework of Sweden's presidency of the EU on 30 January 2023, Uppsala. Check against delivery.

After a meeting with the Riksdag party leaders on 31 January, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson held a press conference on Sweden’s security in connection with recent weeks’ events in Stockholm and their international consequences.

After a meeting of the new National Security Council on 24 January, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström and Minister for Defence Pål Jonson held a press conference on the NATO accession process and Swedish security.

Speech by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, delivered at the Folk och Försvar Annual National Conference in Sälen on 8 January 2023. Check against delivery.

On 21–22 December, Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström is visiting Türkiye’s capital, Ankara, for talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu

On 1 December, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson is taking part in the Berlin Security Conference.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström is in Bucharest on 29–30 November to take part in the meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs, marking Sweden’s first time participating as an applicant country (invitee).

The second meeting of the Permanent Joint Mechanism established within the framework of the Trilateral Memorandum which Türkiye, Finland and Sweden signed during the NATO Summit, was held in Stockholm on November 25, 2022.

Continued support to Ukraine and the EU’s closer cooperation with NATO were in focus at the EU defence ministers meeting in Brussels on 15 November. This was Pål Jonson’s first EU meeting as Sweden’s Minister for Defence.

On Monday 24 October, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson visited Finland’s Minister of Defence Antti Kaikkonen in Helsinki. It was Mr Jonson’s first visit abroad as Minister for Defence.

On Thursday 20 October, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in a bilateral meeting. The meeting took place at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels.