On June 27, 2013 the Atlantic Council hosted H.E. Karin Enstrӧm, Sweden’s minister of defense, for a strategy session focused on Sweden’s defense and security relationship with the US and NATO, as well as security developments in the Nordic-Baltic region.

Sweden is a key NATO partner, and has contributed forces to the ISAF mission in Afghanistan as well as Operation Unified Protector over Libya. The country is also a leader in forging defense partnerships within a regional context in northern Europe.

After her conscript service, Minister Enstrӧm graduated as an officer from the Royal Swedish Naval Academy. Afterward, she began a successful career in politics serving on the Swedish Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Defense, and was also a member of the Swedish War Delegation. From 2010 to 2012, she was the chair of the Swedish Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and also became chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. She was named Sweden’s Minister of Defense in 2012.