Minister Mikkonen to meet Swedish Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin

Minister of the Interior Krista Mikkonen will meet Sweden’s new Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin on 1 November in Helsinki. The ministers will discuss cooperation between the two countries in the field of civil preparedness.

“Sweden and Finland’s long and close partnership provides a solid foundation for our continued cooperation. Now that we are seeking NATO membership at the same time, the need for this cooperation has only increased. The Civil-Military Cooperation between our two countries is also important,” says Minister Mikkonen.

Finland and Sweden engage in close cooperation and exchange of information in the field of civil preparedness and rescue services. In February 2021, the then interior ministers Maria Ohisalo and Mikael Damberg signed a letter of intent in which they agreed to further strengthen the countries’ cooperation in the fields of civil preparedness and rescue services. Cyber and hybrid issues are also included in the increasingly important areas of cooperation. 

Civil preparedness refers to measures taken to safeguard the functions vital to society, basic supply for the population and the State's capacity to act in a crisis situation. The Ministry of the Interior’s branch of government covers, in particular, rescue services, civil defence, and issues related to responding to cyber security and hybrid threats.

The portfolio of the Minister for Civil Defence is new in the portfolio division of the Swedish Government and it is placed in the Ministry of Defence. 

Inquiries:
Mikko Jalo, Special Adviser to Minister Mikkonen, tel. +358 50 304 8522, [email protected] (requests for interviews with the Minister)
Kimmo Kohvakka, Director General for Rescue Services, Ministry of the Interior, tel. +358 295 488 400, [email protected]