Enhanced Nordic-Baltic cooperation on the security of critical underwater infrastructure
Published
In a joint statement, the Nordic and Baltic Ministers of Digitalisation emphasised the importance of enhanced cooperation concerning underwater infrastructure for electronic communication.
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“The security situation in our neighbourhood is serious. In a time of geopolitical change, robustness, resilience and redundancy in subsea communication cable systems that connect our countries is essential. This critical infrastructure is fundamental to secure our national needs for electronic communications and the day-to-day usage of digital services. We are now taking an important step by strengthening Nordic-Baltic cooperation on the issue,” says Erik Slottner, Minister for Public Administration with responsibility for digital infrastructure.
In a joint statement, the Nordic and Baltic Ministers of Digitalisation state that underwater infrastructure for electronic communications constitute a critical infrastructure and emphasise the importance of a joint Nordic-Baltic approach in our international efforts in the EU and NATO. In addition, the ministers emphasise the importance of repair capabilities, which are essential for repairing infrastructure in the event of incidents such as accidents or sabotage. Through the joint statement, the Nordic Council of Ministers also expressed its support for: the New York Joint Statement on the Security and Resilience of Undersea Cables in a Globally Digitalized World
Subsea infrastructure for electronic communication
Subsea infrastructure for electronic communication is used to transmit telecommunications signals, such as telephone calls, internet data and multimedia content. Submarine cables are laid on the bottom of the ocean and can transfer large amounts of data between countries or continents.
The Government’s civil defence initiative
within the framework of the civil defence initiative, the Government is investing in strengthening the security and reliability of the digital infrastructure. This involves both the resilience of infrastructure and the sector’s preparedness, to strengthen Sweden’s ability to communicate nationally, internationally and digitally in all situations. It is vital that all functions, services and information are secure under all circumstances.
Press contact
Press Secretary to Minister for Public Administration Erik Slottner
Phone (switchboard) +46 8 405 10 00
Mobile +46 76-648 65 48
email to Erika Svanström