Sweden’s foreign minister in Vilnius: NATO membership would diminish defence cooperation with Finland

Margot Wallstrom
Nuotr. iš asmeninio albumo

During a lecture at Vilnius University on Thursday, the Swedish minister said that NATO was “a response to only one or two issues”.

“We are not alone and we do not choose to be alone. We are cooperating with Finland in the field of security and we will remain united with Finland,” Wallstrom said.

Asked weather Sweden’s social democratic party she represents would back the country’s NATO membership, as some other parties do, Wallstrom said “no”.

She also noted that it was not a sensible thing for Sweden to have been cutting military spending eight years in a row, which was why Stockholm was currently strengthening the country’s defence capabilities. Any more substantial policy changes would require the backing of the nation and Finland, she said.

A public opinion survey published by Sifo this October suggests that 41 percent of Sweden’s population support possible NATO membership, while 39 percent oppose it.

You may like

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*


RECOMMENDED ARTICLES