Sweden, Ukraine agree on bilateral defense industry project deal

Ukraine's Ministry of Defense reported the information.

The relevant decision was agreed upon at a meeting between Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Defense for European Integration, Serhiy Boiev, and Brigadier General Johan Axelsson, Director of the Technical Systems Testing and Evaluation Department of the Swedish government supply agency FMV.

The parties agreed to develop a bilateral agreement on the implementation of joint projects in the defense industry and discussed substantive proposals for their creation, including a list of priority products to be produced.

“Of course, air defense and ammunition remain Ukraine's priorities. A separate need is the development of long-range capabilities,” said Boiev.

Johan Axelsson added that a positive decision by the Swedish government is expected soon to allocate a new military aid package to Ukraine, which will be the largest since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion.

In addition to providing weapons, the package will include investments in Ukrainian defense production, in particular to increase long-range capabilities.

In addition, the parties agreed on the details of the implementation of contracts for the production of armored vehicles, in particular Swedish CV-90 infantry fighting vehicles, and discussed ensuring sustainable communications on the battlefield to implement the planned operations of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. 

• On January 21, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama signed an agreement on long-term cooperation and support between the two countries for a period of 10 years.