Nordic Countries Sign Memorandum on Easy Access for Military

STOCKHOLM (Sputnik) — The Nordic countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) enabling easy military access to each other’s territories in peacetime within the framework of the Nordic Defense Cooperation organization (NORDEFCO), Sweden's Defense Ministry announced Wednesday.

"In light of the worsened security situation in our region, increased cooperation within NORDEFCO has become even more important. The Easy Access framework is driven by the ambition to ensure unprecedented access for the Nordic countries to each other’s territories in all domains, be it air, land or maritime," the joint statement from the Nordic defense ministers said.

The five Nordic states — Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden – created NORDEFCO in 2009 in order to boost cooperation in defense area. The main purpose of NORDEFCO is to strengthen the participating nations´ national defense, explore common synergies and facilitate efficient common solutions, according to the organization's website.