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Swedish Defence Minister criticises Russian counterpart for spreading false information

TT/The Local
TT/The Local - [email protected]
Swedish Defence Minister criticises Russian counterpart for spreading false information
Sweden's Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist. Photo: Hossein Salmazadeh/TT

Sweden's Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist has criticised his Russian counterpart Sergej Sjojgu for spreading false information about collaboration between Sweden and Nato.

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Hultqvist was responding to a comment made by the Russian minister last week in which he claimed Nato has access to Sweden and Finland’s airspace and territorial waters.

"What the Russian defence minister describes is false. Nato does not have unrestricted access to either Finnish or Swedish territorial waters and airspace," Hultqvist told Sveriges Radio.

"Special permission is required for any foreign state vessel or aircraft to enter our territory."

READ ALSO: Sweden, US and Finland agree to work more closely on defence

The Russian minister had referred to a supposed agreement from May 2018 where Finland and Sweden would grant air and water access in exchange for participation in Nato's military exercises and access to the alliance's weapons. Not true, according to Hultqvist.

"Sweden is free from military alliances and we make our own decision. This was a false portrayal," the Swedish minister noted.

READ ALSO: Nato has no legal duty to come to Sweden's aid, secretary general says

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