The Department of National Defense (DND) is exploring cooperation in technology transfer and research and development with Sweden as part of the efforts to achieve a self-reliant defense posture and more effectively protection of Philippine sovereignty.

This was among the issues discussed when DND Undersecretary Irineo C. Espino met with Swedish State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Jan Knutsson during the latter’s courtesy call at the DND.

During the meeting, Knutsson emphasized Sweden’s cost-effective materiel, primarily its aircraft which was brought up amid the efforts of the Philippine government to modernize its defense capabilities.

“In relation to defense capability development, the Philippine and Swedish sides also discussed the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding concerning Cooperation in the Acquisition of Defense Materiel, updates on the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program and funding requirements, and the Philippine procurement law,” the DND statement read. 

“Both sides also emphasized the urgency of addressing security threats in the continuously evolving cyber domain. Underlining cyber security as one of the President's priority agenda, Senior Undersecretary Espino shared the DND and its bureaus' efforts to build a stronger cyber security framework and identify potential partners in this regard,” it added.

Also discussed during the meeting were climate change, the ongoing war in Ukraine, cross-strait tensions, and the South China Sea issue. Both sides looked forward to developing a long-term bilateral cooperation, underscoring the importance of upholding the rules-based international order and strengthening security ties between like-minded countries.

The meeting served as a follow-on to Espino's courtesy call on Knutsson during his visit to Stockholm in October 2023.