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The rapid response force JEF must be able to intervene in crises in northern Europe.
The ten countries that cooperate on the force are holding a summit in Visby today.
The meeting will be hosted by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) and among the heads of government who are coming is British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Sweden has been participating in the British-led defense cooperation Joint Expedition Force, JEF, since 2017.
The idea is that the ten countries that are part of JEF should be able to quickly set up a task force in the event of crises that may arise in the Baltic Sea area, the North Calotte or the North Atlantic. The Nordic and Baltic countries as well as Great Britain and the Netherlands participate in the collaboration.
Seen as important
The Swedish government sees JEF as important for the security of Sweden and the Baltic Sea area. The armed forces have participated in several JEF exercises in recent years and the exercises have become more numerous after Russia’s attack on Ukraine in 2022.
The military cooperation is considered to be an important contribution to ensuring that there is sufficient military capability in the region that can be used quickly and flexibly.
The rapid response force is considered to be able to play an important role for Swedish security even after Sweden has become a NATO country. Especially before a crisis has turned into an armed attack, i.e. before NATO can activate its Article 5 on rescuing an attacked member state.
In Visby, the leaders of the JEF countries will discuss how to strengthen the ability to deal with hybrid threats and strengthen cooperation with NATO. News is expected from the summit on how defense cooperation will develop further.
Show Gotland
For Sweden, the summit is also an important opportunity to increase understanding of Gotland’s military strategic situation. The heads of government from the JEF countries will be treated to a military demonstration by the Swedish defence.
The Swedish government does not see JEF cooperation as a possible alternative to Swedish NATO membership. JEF means no defense guarantees for Sweden.
All of the ten countries, apart from Sweden, are indeed also members of the defense alliance, but it is they themselves, not NATO, who decide how much they will participate in any future JEF operations.
The Visby meeting is the fourth summit held by the JEF countries.
Meeting with Sunak
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will also have a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The two will discuss security policy issues such as NATO and joint support for Ukraine. They will also sign a strategic partnership agreement between Sweden and Great Britain, according to a press release from the government office.
The agreement will strengthen the countries’ cooperation in innovation, research, green transition as well as trade and investments. Within the area of defence, cooperation is being strengthened, among other things, in areas such as counter-terrorism and the export of defense equipment.