Folk och Försvar, Sweden’s annual security conference, started on Sunday with a discussion on expected NATO membership, a new counter-terrorism strategy and a grateful message from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to Euractiv.
The conference, which runs through Tuesday, is designed to provide a forum for discussion and debate on the country’s most pressing security concerns today, which include NATO membership, the growing threat of terrorism, rising crime and the war in Ukraine.
NATO membership has been one of the long-debated issues. Foreign Minister Tobias Billström stated that Sweden’s security policy in NATO would be guided by a “policy of solidarity and alliance.”
Sweden will be a reliable, supportive and committed NATO member.
Billström emphasised that Sweden’s upcoming NATO membership would be the most significant change in Swedish security policy in more than 200 years.
“It means both great responsibility and new opportunities to strengthen our freedom and security – not least for Swedish diplomacy. We must be realistic and assume – and prepare for – a long-term confrontation.”
Zelensky also attended the conference and gave a speech emphasising the importance of solidarity and international support against the war in Ukraine.
I want to thank Swedish society for your solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. Russia can be defeated by showing solidarity with each other.
The conference also discussed the Swedish government’s new national strategy for countering terrorism and violent extremism. The strategy has long been used as a basis for counter-terrorism efforts and is intended to be relied upon by both government and authorities.
Its update was announced by Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer at a time when the Swedish Security Service raised the national terrorist threat level from elevated (level 3) to high (level 4) on a five-point scale.
Sweden has worked diligently over the past year to update its two separate strategies for countering terrorism and violent extremism, last revised in 2015.
