STOCKHOLM (May 21, 2025) — Sweden has signed a regional Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at enhancing the protection of critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, in cooperation with fellow Baltic Sea EU countries, Norway, Iceland, and the European Union.
The agreement, signed on May 16, comes amid heightened concerns over the vulnerability of key infrastructure such as pipelines, cables, and energy grids running beneath the sea.
“This MoU marks an important step in increased regional cooperation on the protection of critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea,” said Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard in a statement. “Recent events highlight the importance of coordinated action on issues concerning the protection of critical infrastructure.”
The initiative was first proposed during the Baltic Sea NATO Allies Summit in Helsinki in January 2025. It focuses on strengthening regional coordination by improving situational awareness, boosting information sharing, and facilitating the exchange of best practices.
Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin said the agreement is a critical component of Sweden’s broader security strategy.
“The Government is working on a broad front to strengthen security in the Baltic Sea together with our neighbours and Allies,” Bohlin said. “This MoU is an important step in further strengthening the protection of undersea infrastructure and our collective ability to manage incidents.”
The pact also promotes cooperation under broader multilateral frameworks, including the EU and NATO, as nations seek to deter threats from both state and non-state actors targeting strategic maritime infrastructure.
Sweden has already tasked several government agencies with boosting maritime surveillance capabilities and enhancing international coordination on security-related matters.
The government said the MoU complements national efforts and will improve early warning mechanisms and incident response in a region increasingly viewed as a geopolitical flashpoint.
Officials underscored that safeguarding undersea assets is not just a matter of defense, but essential for ensuring continuity of public services and the integrity of digital and energy networks across northern Europe.
