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HARPSUND. Sweden, Finland and Norway showed a united front at today’s security summit.
Behind closed doors, the risk of sabotage attacks against critical infrastructure was discussed.
– We are prepared for any kind of threat from Russia and it is also something that we cooperate on in the Nordic countries, says Finnish Defense Minister Mikko Savola.
At the Prime Minister’s summer residence, Harpsund, the heads of government from Sweden and Norway, the President of Finland, and the countries’ foreign and defense ministers gathered on Wednesday.
The nine executives had lunch and held bilateral and trilateral talks for several hours before meeting the press in a cramped frigge shed.
The message was that the countries stand united even if Turkey chooses to ratify Finland some time before Sweden:
– It will not change our common will to plan and stand together in solidarity, said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
“Are prepared”
One of the points discussed behind closed doors – which was not addressed at the press conference – was the risk of sabotage attacks and other so-called hybrid threats to critical infrastructure in the three countries.
– That was one of the topics, says Finnish Defense Minister Mikko Savola to Aftonbladet.
He says that Finland is prepared for this type of action – but welcomes the expanded cooperation between the countries, which was decided upon today.
– We are prepared for any kind of threat from Russia and it is also something that we cooperate on in the Nordic countries, says Mikko Savola.
Defense Minister Pål Jonson (M) also welcomes increased cooperation in the area:
– It is quite well known that Russia acts in the gray zone between total peace and total war and there needs to build up a stronger resistance on a national basis, but we also need to expand cooperation linked to hybrid threats, not least in cyber security cooperation, that was also something that was raised during this meeting, says Pål Jonson to Aftonbladet.
“Follows very closely”
Among the countries in the trio that met today, Norway has been the clearest in the past year that there is a threat to critical infrastructure. During the past year, neighboring countries were warned that oil platforms and pipelines above and below water could be exposed to sabotage attacks – and home defense forces were ordered to guard various objects connected to the oil and gas industry.
Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt describes the current situation as follows:
– It is something that we follow very closely, so we have had a lot of monitoring of the Norwegian pipelines and also help from our NATO allies to carry out these tasks to ensure that we get stable energy deliveries to Europe, says Anniken Huitfeldt to Aftonbladet.
The Norwegian Minister of Defense Bjørn Arild Gram says that preparedness was raised in connection with the explosions at the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea – and the increased surveillance has remained since then.
– We have the naval defense which together with allies today also patrols oil platforms on the shelf and we cooperate with the private companies to have a good overview of the energy infrastructure under water, so this is of great importance and therefore we have increased preparedness and follow what takes place around our facilities.
“Peace Reigns”
Among the three countries that participated in today’s mini-summit, Finland has the longest border with Russia. Defense Minister Mikko Savola describes the situation as follows:
– There is peace along the border and they (Russia, editor’s note) are focusing on Ukraine now, but we know our neighbor, with whom we also have a long experience, so we are prepared. We have conscription, we have trained armed forces and we have a well-trained reserve, and so on. So Finland’s preparedness is quite high at the moment.