US, Sweden sign 1st defense cooperation pact

By Dildar Baykan Atalay

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Swedish counterpart Pal Jonson on Wednesday signed a defense cooperation agreement in Washington, DC, the first-ever between the two countries.

Austin and Jonson met at the Pentagon to discuss security and defense issues, and agreed to strengthen and expand their collaborative partnership, said a Defense Department statement.

Sweden has taken on new strategic importance since Russia began its war on Ukraine in February 2022, a move which rattled the entire region, including Nordic countries like Sweden near Russia's borders.

Stressing the importance of continued support to Ukraine, Austin also highlighted Sweden's support for the completion of its own NATO membership process, whose fate currently rests with the Turkish parliament.

To join the alliance, which Sweden sought after Russia attacked nearby Ukraine, Stockholm has to have the approval of all current NATO members, including Türkiye, a NATO member for over 70 years.

Türkiye has been pushing Swedish authorities to take concrete steps to alleviate Ankara's security concerns, especially regarding support for the PKK terrorist organization, whose decades of attacks on Türkiye have taken the lives of more than 40,000 people.

The agreement outlines the legal status for the deployment of US forces in Sweden, as well as regulations related to the sending of military equipment, taxes, and customs.