Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III hosted Swedish Minister of Defence Pål Jonson at the Pentagon today to discuss key defense and security topics and sign the first ever U.S.-Sweden Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA).
The Secretary and Minister affirmed their commitment to expanding the breadth and depth of the U.S.-Sweden partnership amidst a significantly challenging security environment. The two officials discussed the evolving situation in Europe and agreed on the importance of continued robust support to Ukraine in the face of Russia’s illegal and full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Secretary Austin reiterated his support for Sweden’s NATO membership and expectation that accession occur as soon as possible.
The Secretary and Minister concluded the meeting with the signing of the U.S.-Sweden DCA. The agreement will enable enhanced defense cooperation by establishing the conditions for U.S. forces to operate in Sweden, including the legal status of U.S. military personnel, access to deployment areas, pre-positioning of military materiel, and tax and customs regulations.