The Indo-Pacific region, which stretches from the east coast of Africa to the island nations of the Pacific Ocean, has gained increasing defense policy significance. The development is primarily characterized by the dynamics between China and the USA, where China's increasingly authoritarian rule and cooperation with Russia affect global security. At the same time, the region is influenced by events in Europe, such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine, writes the Ministry of Defense.
In the press release, the government emphasizes that security in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions is increasingly interconnected.
The new direction includes several measures to strengthen Sweden's defense cooperation with countries in the Indo-Pacific region within three focus areas: defense policy relations, military presence, and defense materiel, innovation, and technology cooperation.
– Developing defense policy relations with partner countries in the Indo-Pacific region is therefore becoming increasingly important, says Defense Minister Pål Jonson in the press release.