Sweden: Defence Cooperation Agreement with the U.S. enters into force

Source: Swedish Ministry of Defence

On 15 August 2024, the Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) between Sweden and the United States entered into force. This paves the way for even closer cooperation, both bilaterally and within the framework of NATO.

 

The security situation in Europe has deteriorated as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the conditions for Swedish security policy have thus fundamentally changed. In light of the current security situation, Sweden must be able to react swiftly to complex security developments – be it unilaterally or jointly with others. Sweden’s membership of NATO and the DCA entered into with the United States should be viewed in this context.

The United States is one of Sweden’s most important security and defence policy partners, bilaterally and within NATO. In May 2016, Sweden and the United States signed a Statement of Intent on enhanced bilateral defence cooperation. In 2018, Sweden adopted a trilateral Statement of Intent with Finland and the United States.

 

 

The DCA is a natural progression of Sweden’s and the United States’ long-standing cooperation on security and defence, as well as Sweden’s NATO membership. The DCA enables more seamless cooperation by regulating the conditions for United States forces to operate in Sweden. This involves issues such as the legal status of United States military personnel, access to deployment areas, pre-positioning of military materiel and tax and customs regulations.

The DCA also creates conditions for United States military support, should this become necessary due to the security situation. The DCA is therefore of great consequence for Sweden’s security. The United States already has DCAs in place with several other European countries, which clearly signals its continued commitment to security in Europe and in our neighbourhood.

 

 

The DCA between Sweden and the United States stipulates that all activities must take place in full respect of Swedish sovereignty, Swedish laws and Sweden’s international obligations. Moreover, it stipulates that the intensified security cooperation outlined under the DCA conform to international law and be based on Swedish consent.

 

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