“We are uniting efforts for the sake of security on the entire European continent”, — Ihor Klymenko during a meeting with Carl-Oskar Bohlin, the Minister of Civil Defence of the Kingdom of Sweden
Today, on November 05, Ihor Klymenko, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, met with Carl-Oskar Bohlin, the Minister of Civil Defence of the Kingdom of Sweden. The meeting was also attended by Martin Oberg, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to Ukraine. The Ukrainian delegation included Kateryna Pavlichenko, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Andrii Danyk, the Head of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, and Serhii Serdiuk, the Deputy Head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
The main items on the agenda were support for Ukraine amid the ongoing war, as well as the exchange of experience between the two countries in the areas of security, shelter construction, demining, countering hybrid threats and cooperation in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles.
At the beginning of the meeting, Ihor Klymenko, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, expressed his gratitude to the Government and people of the Kingdom of Sweden for their support as well as for the humanitarian and military assistance provided during the almost three years of war.
"We highly appreciate the comprehensive assistance provided by Sweden since the beginning of the full-scale armed aggression. In addition, the units of the State Emergency Service, the State Border Guard Service, and the National Police have established cooperation with the Swedish Ministry of Defence's counterparts - the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency and the Swedish Coast Guard - and we expect this cooperation to only grow. I would also like to express my gratitude to your people and the Government of Sweden for granting 43,000 of our citizens temporary protection in your country. This is a great contribution to our friendship and we appreciate it", – said Ihor Klymenko, addressing the Swedish delegation
In particular, the Minister Klymenko informed the partners about the unique experience of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in repelling russian aggression and eliminating its consequences:
"The units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine are responsible for the protection of critical infrastructure, including the energy sector, which is a priority target given its importance for national security. As the winter period approaches, the enemy's main efforts are focused on destroying, damaging or disrupting the functioning of energy infrastructure, launching air attacks through missile strikes and UAVs, which has become a key feature of modern warfare. In turn, we are ready to cooperate with our Swedish partners to exchange experience in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles. Sweden's accession to the Drone Coalition is an important step"
In addition, Ihor Klymenko, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, briefed the delegation on preparations for the winter period in a time of war when the enemy is targeting critical facilities. The parties also discussed the development of a shelter system within the framework of the civil protection coalition signed between the Governments of Sweden and Ukraine.
"The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine regularly conducts command and staff exercises in the regions to respond to situations related to the lack of power supply with the involvement of state authorities and local governments. Rescuers and the police have clear estimates of forces and means. The units and bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine are accumulating all forces and means to repel an enemy air attack and overcome the consequences of emergencies. That is the reason why the State Emergency Service and the National Police, in cooperation with local communities, are deploying "Invincibility Points". Also, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Emergency Service control the functioning of shelters, their accessibility and equipment", – said Ihor Klymenko
For his part, Carl-Oskar Bohlin, the Minister of Civil Defense of the Kingdom of Sweden, expressed his gratitude to the Ukrainian side and personally to the Minister Klymenko for the fruitful cooperation and emphasized that his country will continue to support Ukraine in this difficult time by providing all necessary assistance:
"I am very grateful for the invitation and for your comprehensive speech. I would like to note that Sweden will support you as long as necessary. And of course, we will support all your strategies, because they clearly coincide with ours. We will also do our best to enhance cooperation between our ministries. We share your vision of the security situation, which certainly has an impact on Sweden. In addition, we want to learn from your experience in order to strengthen our security capabilities as well".
During his official visit, Carl-Oskar Bohlin, the Minister of Civil Defence of the Kingdom of Sweden, announced a new package of assistance to the Ministry of Internal Affairs worth €9 million. The package includes two vessels with maritime security equipment to be transferred to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and 40,000 protective masks to be used by the State Emergency Service.
“It is important to feel the shoulder of a friend in this fight against a staunch aggressor. And we are ready to share our experience and show you our defence systems that we have built and are building now. We greatly appreciate the assistance provided by the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden since the beginning of the full-scale armed aggression and would like to emphasise once again that all international technical assistance is accounted for and used exclusively for its intended purpose”, – said Ihor Klymenko.
At the end of the meeting, the parties signed a joint Statement of Intent between the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and the Ministry of Civil Defence of the Kingdom of Sweden.
"The signing of this document is evidence of our common intention to develop a productive partnership and integrate efforts to overcome security threats", – concluded Ihor Klymenko.
The Ministers also gave a joint briefing for Ukrainian and Swedish journalists, where they reported on the results of the talks and the new package of assistance to the units of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
"We are observing the situation and recognize that Ukraine is fighting for the entire civilized world. And we will continue to support you fully, because the security of the whole of Europe depends on you", – added Carl-Oskar Bohlin, the Minister of Civil Defense of Kingdom of Sweden.
Communications Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
