Sweden will next year send a reduced battalion of soldiers and officers to Riga in Latvia. There they will be part of a multinational NATO force under Canadian leadership.
On Thursday, the government commissioned the Armed Forces to prepare the Swedish contribution to NATO in Latvia, says Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson at a press meeting with Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa.
– The goal is for the effort to be operational at the beginning of next year, he says.
The battalion will include, among other things, combat vehicles 90, tanks 122 (also called Leopard) and armored all-terrain vehicles 360.
The recruitment takes place from Södra Skånska regiment P7 in Revingehed.
The Riksdag must also make a decision on the matter.
The placement of Swedish soldiers in Latvia is also good for Sweden’s defence, according to the prime minister.
– In the same way that the defense of our part of the world begins in Ukraine, the defense of NATO begins in Latvia, among others.
During Wednesday, Sweden also ends the military integration with NATO.
– Together with Finland’s, this is one of the fastest integration processes in NATO’s history, says Kristersson.
