OSLO (Reuters) – Oslo and Washington have started negotiations to establish closer security ties in the form of a defense cooperation agreement, the Swedish government said.
Such an agreement will create a legal framework for the presence of US forces in Sweden and allow for even closer bilateral cooperation than that facilitated by NATO membership, the Swedish Ministry of Defense said.
“The United States is Sweden’s main security and defense partner, both bilaterally and within NATO,” the ministry added.
In May, Sweden asked, alongside Finland, to join NATO in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but this request has yet to be approved by Hungary and Turkey.
(Report Terje Solsvik; French version Jean Rosset, edited by Blandine Hénault)
click here for restrictions
©2023 Reuters