Ministry of the Interior, National Emergency Supply Agency, National Cyber Security Centre and Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency:
Finland and Sweden engage in extensive and diverse cooperation in preparedness issues

Cooperation in maintaining and developing civil preparedness is an important part of the joint preparedness of Finland and Sweden. The heads of the authorities responsible for preparedness in the two countries will meet in Helsinki on Friday 29 April. The bilateral meeting is the first of its kind, and the topics on the agenda will include civil preparedness, security of supply and cyber matters. 

“Due to the recent changes in the security environment, it is increasingly important that cooperation between Finland and Sweden is close, intensive and direct at all levels. The global security challenges that we are facing are complex. In addition to changes in our security environment, we are also dealing with climate change and the vulnerabilities of the increasingly digital society,” the heads of the authorities say.

The meeting will be attended by Charlotte Petri Gornitzka, the new Director General of the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (Myndigheten för samhällsskydd och beredskap, MSB), Kimmo Kohvakka, Director General for Rescue Services from the Ministry of the Interior, Axel Hagelstam, Director for the Planning and Analysis Division at the National Emergency Supply Agency (NESA) operating under the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, and Sauli Pahlman, Deputy Director General from the National Cyber Security Centre of the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency.

Close cooperation with neighbouring areas boosts the competence and activities of the authorities

Preparedness cooperation brings together a number of different central government actors, both in Finland and Sweden. Bilateral cooperation covers civil preparedness, rescue services and security of supply.

The letter of intent on closer cooperation between Finland and Sweden in the field of civil preparedness and rescue services, signed in February 2021 by the Finnish Minister of the Interior and the Swedish Minister of Justice and Home Affairs, is now more important than ever. In 2021, cooperation progressed in areas such as the EU’s and NATO’s civil preparedness and joint exercises, statistics and research. In mid-March, Ministers Morgan Johansson and Krista Mikkonen met in Helsinki and emphasised the importance of close cooperation between the two countries.

The security of supply cooperation between the MSB and the NESA follows a joint strategic cooperation plan for 2021–2025. This strategic cooperation plan includes cyber security cooperation with the National Cyber Security Centre.

Finland and Sweden also have a bilateral security of supply agreement dating back to 1992, in which they have agreed on economic cooperation in international crises.

Cooperation between Finland and Sweden is versatile and close at the political level, between public officials and in operational work in the field.

Inquiries:
Kimmo Kohvakka, Director General for Rescue Services, tel. +358 295 488 400, kimmo.kohvakka@govsec.fi 
Axel Hagelstam, Director for the Planning and Analysis Division, National Emergency Supply Agency, tel. +358 295 051 112, axel.hagelstam@nesa.fi 
Sauli Pahlman, Deputy Director General, National Cyber Security Centre, tel. +358 295 390 577, sauli.pahlman@traficom.fi 
MSB press department, tel. 010-240 44 44, kommunikation@msb.se