Phl, Sweden reaffirm civil defense, security ties

The Philippines and Sweden on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to a civil defense and security partnership. 

This, after Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. met with the Swedish State Secretary to the Minister for Civil Defense Johan Berggren, on the sidelines of the Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD) 2025 in South Korea on 8 September. 

Teodoro and Berggren explored both countries’ cooperation in civil defense, crisis response, capacity building, defense education and training, as well as technology and emerging security domains.

During their meeting, Teodoro highlighted the importance of close cooperation with Sweden in support of the country’s defense modernization and national resilience efforts. 

Both sides also discussed vulnerabilities in critical underwater infrastructure and shared perspectives on the broader Indo-Pacific security environment. 

Further, Berggren reiterated Sweden’s commitment to strengthening defense and civil defense ties with the Philippines.

He also emphasized the importance of enduring partnerships in safeguarding the rules-based international order.