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Denmark signs new defence agreement with Sweden

Xinhua, January 14, 2016 Adjust font size:

Denmark and Sweden on Thursday signed a new defence agreement to further strengthen their defence cooperation.

The deal means that the two countries in peace time can use each other's territorial waters and airspace without first asking permission, according to Danish Defence Minister Peter Christensen.

"The reality of our current security policy calls for enhanced cooperation and coordination. I am therefore pleased that we sign an agreement with our Swedish neighbors in the defence field, which gives us greater access to each other's territorial waters and airspace," Christensen was cited by Danish news agency Ritzau as saying.

"This means that, all in all, we will have more eyes and ears in the Baltic region to monitor and to make sure what is going on in our own territory," the minister added.

Although the agreement with the Swedish defense is not related to the current refugee situation in which the Swedes have introduced border controls, it would mean that Sweden can patrol without asking permission in the Oresund region, through which the refugees would normally proceed further north.

Christensen said Denmark will also benefit from the deal when Danish F-16s need to fly over the Swedish territory. Endit