NATO chief: All of Sweden is geographically important for NATO

Sweden will bring great benefits to the North Atlantic Alliance and the Nordic countries when it joins the NATO alliance, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday.

In an interview with Swedish national broadcaster SVT on Thursday, Stoltenberg expressed satisfaction at the prospect of Sweden possibly joining the Alliance before the end of the year.

“Sweden will contribute significantly,” he told SVT Nyheter.

Planning for the defence of the Nordic countries has historically been complicated due to Sweden and Finland not being NATO members, putting the burden for defence on the other Nordic states.

“Sweden has a strong, professional, well-trained defence and an important location on the Baltic Sea,” said Stoltenberg.

He pointed out that the Swedish air force will now be able to work smoothly with its neighbouring countries’ counterparts.

“I know that the Finnish and Norwegian air forces are looking forward to being able to work together, to use each other’s airports,” he said, adding that the borders with Norway and Finland allow for better coordination of land forces and that Swedish naval forces in the Baltic Sea are to be reckoned with.

However, he did not want to mention the exact locations that would play a particularly important role.

“The whole of Sweden is of interest”, he said.

Stoltenberg said he saw challenges in the current state of Nordic cross-country transport, which in his view, should be reviewed.

“I think all the Nordic countries to some extent, have a lot of communication axis going northwards, less so across countries.” he said.

The border between Sweden and Norway is approximately 1,630 kilometres long, with only 11 main roads crossing the borders as, due to the region’s rugged and mountainous terrain, the construction of road networks is complex and expensive.

However, as Sweden is soon to join NATO, the establishment of efficient cross-country communication axes between Sweden and Norway becomes essential.

“These axes will facilitate the rapid deployment of troops, equipment and supplies, enhance military coordination and interoperability, and strengthen regional defence capabilities,” a military source told EURACTIV.

“Well-developed transport networks allow for rapid response, good logistics and integrated defence systems, which in turn contribute to effective military cooperation and enhanced security between the two countries”, the source added.

(Charles Szumski | EURACTIV.com)