NATO:Sweden Extends Enhanced Partnership - conscription reinstituted

In 2014 at the NATO Wales Summit,Sweden and four other NATO partners were granted enhanced status.They were offered a more flexible and individualised relationship with the Alliance,over and beyond other partnership formats.This took place in the context of Russia illegally annexing Crimea and intervening in Eastern Ukraine.
According to Sweden's Ambassador to NATO,Hakan Malmqvist,writing in The NATO Review magazine:
The developments in 2014 brought defence and security planning back to the top of the political agenda.The deteriorating security environment and the need for NATO to focus on collective defence and the defence of Europe,underlined our mutual interest of working even closer together.The need to view the Baltic Sea as one strategic area became a natural driving force for our strategic cooperation.*
At the NATO Warsaw Summit of 2016,NATO emphasised the need to develop regular political consultations,shared situational awareness and joint exercises with Finland and Sweden.*
Our common challenges are greater and more complex than in decades.Regional powers and non-state actors are testing their strength against neighbours,other states,and international institutions.The threats are manifold and more complex.*
This year (2017),the Swedish government decided to reactivate the national conscription system.Conscription for both men and women will start from the 1st of January 2018 and the plan is to enlist/enroll approximately 4,000 recruits the first year.*
In 2016,the government of Sweden adopted a "Memorandum of Understanding on Host Nation Support."This MoU with NATO is to ensure that Sweden,as a host nation,can provide effective support for military activities on Swedish territory in connection with exercises,crises or military operations in Sweden and in our vicinity.*
The positive assessment of our first years as an EOP has now resulted in an extension of this status for another 3 years.I am convinced that we can continue to develop our cooperation further.While based on mutual interests and shared values,we must take into account political and military restrictions distinguishing partner and Allied nations.We are eager to consult with the Allies and NATO officials on possible next steps and priorities.