MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Sweden's policy of military non-alignment is firm, as is Stockholm's determination to autonomously deliberate its position on security issues, Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom said Tuesday.
"Sweden's policy of non-alignment with military blocs is firm. Sweden independently defines its stance on security issues. Our policy is based on the conviction that peace and security are built on cooperation with other states," Wallstrom said at a briefing after a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Stockholm's non-involvement with any military alliances stems from a larger policy of neutrality, which dates back to early 19th century.
Sweden, however, has cooperated with NATO on a number of the latter's operations, including the ones in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Afghanistan. It also participates in exchange of information and coordinates training exercises with NATO.
