ISTANBUL

Sweden signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Baltic Sea countries within the EU, as well as Norway, Iceland the bloc, to bolster the protection of critical undersea infrastructure, the government announced Wednesday.

The agreement that was signed in May will enhance regional cooperation in the Baltic Sea amid growing concerns about the security of vital infrastructure following recent incidents, according to the statement.

"This MoU marks an important step in increased regional cooperation on the protection of critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. Recent events highlight the importance of coordinated action," Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said in the statement.

Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin emphasized that the government is taking comprehensive steps to improve Baltic Sea security.

"This MoU is an important step in further strengthening the protection of undersea infrastructure and our collective ability to manage incidents," he said.

The government said the agreement will facilitate enhanced information sharing, better situational awareness and the exchange of best practices.

The cooperation will also be coordinated within the frameworks of the EU, NATO and relevant organizations.

Ten European countries and the EU agreed on enhanced cooperation to protect undersea cable infrastructure after the start of negotiations on the MoU was announced at the Baltic Sea NATO Allies Summit in Helsinki in January.

The MoU was signed during the ministerial meeting of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) in Estonia.

The CBSS consists of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Sweden as well as the EU.

The Baltic Sea has been the location of several high-profile infrastructure incidents since the onset of Russia's war against Ukraine in February 2022, which heightened tensions in the region.