(Oslo) Norway, Sweden and Finland have agreed to create a military transport corridor crossing the north of each of the three countries, the Norwegian Prime Minister announced Thursday.
This agreement constitutes “an important step” for these three countries, now all members of NATO, said Jonas Gahr Store.
Finland and Sweden abandoned decades of military non-alignment after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, with Finland joining the alliance in April 2023 and Sweden in March this year.
“Today we agreed to establish a military transport corridor through northern Norway, northern Sweden and northern Finland,” Store said after a meeting with his Swedish counterpart, Ulf Kristersson, and the Finnish President, Alexander Stubb.
“This will allow personnel and equipment to be quickly transported from Norwegian ports to Finland via Sweden,” added the head of government.
In March, NATO also organized the “Nordic Response exercise” in the region, part of Operation Steadfast, the largest military exercise launched by the Alliance since the end of the Cold War.
Vladimir Putin’s Russia has for its part strengthened its military capabilities in the region, which is home to its powerful Northern Fleet.
The Norwegian government indicates in its press release that the defense ministers will lead the work to organize this transport corridor.
“Together, they will identify bottlenecks, update necessary regulations and legislation, and invest in the infrastructure required to ensure rapid and effective military mobility,” the statement said.
