The award was presented by Estonian Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur during Jonson's state visit in March, and is given in recognition of his efforts to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries.
Swedish Minister of Defence Pål Jonson has been awarded the Estonian Ministry of Defence Cross of Merit (Defence Cross of Merit), presented during a state visit in March.
According to a press release from the Estonian Ministry of Defence, the ministers met to discuss, among other matters, the changing security situation in the Baltic Sea region. The Estonian Minister of Defence highlighted the maritime connection between Estonia and Sweden as central to regional security.
"Security in the Baltic Sea is our shared and indivisible responsibility. Sweden's accession to NATO has made our regional defence more cohesive and more secure," said Minister of Defence Pevkur in the press release.
The ministers also touched on preparations for the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara (Turkey). Pevkur emphasised that member states must demonstrate concrete progress towards the goal of allocating five per cent of GDP to defence and of meeting the alliance's capability targets.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Pål Jonson described the award as an honour and linked it to work on strengthening bilateral defence cooperation, support for Ukraine, and Sweden's contribution to the IT Coalition.
"Deeply honoured to receive the Estonian Ministry of Defence Cross of Merit, Third Class, for contributions to bilateral defence cooperation, support for Ukraine, and Sweden's contribution to the IT Coalition," he wrote.