The heads of state and government of the Nordic and Baltic countries have tasked NATO's former Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg with writing a report containing policy recommendations to strengthen security and defence cooperation in the region. The report is to be presented in June 2025 ahead of NATO's summit in The Hague, as announced by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (Moderate Party) and Jens Stoltenberg during a press conference at the Government Offices of Sweden.
Jens Stoltenberg expresses his appreciation for participating in the work.
– For the first time in history, all the Nordic and Baltic countries are part of the same military alliance. This creates new opportunities, and this report is an important initiative to deepen defence and security cooperation in our region, says Stoltenberg, in a press release from the Prime Minister's Office.
Yesterday, the heads of state and government of the Nordic and Baltic countries, as well as Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz and NATO's Secretary General Mark Rutte, met in Helsinki (capital of Finland) for the Baltic Sea NATO Allies Summit, hosted by Finland's President Alexander Stubb together with Estonia's Prime Minister Kristen Michal and Mark Rutte. The report will include analyses and recommendations to improve deterrence and defence in the region, focusing on military cooperation and measures against hybrid threats and sabotage.
– Now that the entire Nordic-Baltic region is integrated into NATO, we have the chance to further deepen our cooperation, says Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in the Prime Minister's Office press release.