Yesterday in London, Swedish Defence Minister Karen Enström and the UK Minister for International Security Strategy, Dr Andrew Murrison signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the UK and Sweden for Military Exercises and Training.
The main purpose of the MOU is to define the legal status of military personnel of one country when invited to participate in military training in the other. This enables mutual participation in the type of training that is required to develop interoperability, and aids sharing of knowledge and experience.
Over recent years the Swedish military has become more involved in international coalition operations, including in Kosovo, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and Libya – often alongside UK forces.
Although there has always been a strong equipment and R&D-based defence relationship between our two countries, working alongside one another on expeditionary operations has also reinforced our mutual respect for each other’s respective capabilities.
The signing of this MOU is a statement of our joint commitment to that relationship and lays the foundation for the development of cooperation in a post-ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) era.
Special guest blog by:
Wing Commander Donald Turnbull, Defence Attaché to Sweden & Finland