Minister of the Interior Krista Mikkonen to meet Sweden’s new Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin in Helsinki.
The ministers will meet today to discuss cooperation between the two countries in the field of civil preparedness. “Sweden and Finland’s long and close partnership provides a solid foundation for our continued cooperation.
“Now that we are seeking NATO membership at the same time, the need for this cooperation has only increased. The Civil-Military Cooperation between our two countries is also important,” says Minister Mikkonen.
Finland and Sweden engage in close cooperation and exchange of information in the field of civil preparedness and rescue services.
In February 2021, the then interior ministers Maria Ohisalo and Mikael Damberg signed a letter of intent in which they agreed to further strengthen the countries’ cooperation in the fields of civil preparedness and rescue services.
Cyber and hybrid issues are also included in the increasingly important areas of cooperation. Civil preparedness refers to measures taken to safeguard the functions vital to society, basic supply for the population and the State’s capacity to act in a crisis situation.
The Ministry of the Interior’s branch of government covers, in particular, rescue services, civil defence, and issues related to responding to cyber security and hybrid threats.
The portfolio of the Minister for Civil Defence is new in the portfolio division of the Swedish Government and it is placed in the Ministry of Defence.
