Sweden: Secure Neutrality

Abstract

Sweden's recent record of peaceful external relations is often contrasted with the costly and, in the end, futile attempts during earlier centuries to play power politics through wars and alliances. This experience has served to underline the importance of national defense for a credible neutrality posture. Defense expenditures are considerable. The comprehensive nature of national defense and the economic dimension of security have been stressed. Sweden shares strong economic links with the Western economies. As a result of affluence throughout the postwar era and the recognition of the importance of the Western economic channels for this prosperity, official neutrality has interfered only marginally with the private pursuit of commerce and finance. This liberal attitude toward international exchanges has included items of strategic significance, such as advanced technology, arms, and ammunition. Sweden shares with other Nordic nations an inclination for marked visibility in global issues and arenas, hoping to promote international change both in North-South issues and in East-West negotiations. The classic definition of the Swedish foreign policy doctine is freedom from alliances in peace aiming for neutrality in war.