Poor Turn-Out for Sweden’s First Arms Fair

November 29, 2012 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: Radio Sweden; posted Nov. 28, 2012)

Stockholm is hosting the country’s first ever defence and security trade fair. About 30 exhibitors, including Swedish arms manufacturer Saab, Norwegian arms company Kongsberg and smaller weapons and equipment firms are displaying their goods at the Stockholm International Fairs centre.

“The Nordic countries have a sizeable defence and security market. And the region has good entrepreneurs but they often lack resources to market their products internationally,” said Erik Hasselström, who heads up Future Security and Defence Nordic, an organization aimed at expanding the industry.

However on the first day of a three day fair the number of visitors barely matched the number of exhibitors. And the equipment on offer was mostly from non-Nordic countries.

Svenska Freds, (the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society) also attended the fair and said the city council should not allow a municipal conference centre to be used for weapons proliferation.

“This is the first fair and I hope it’s the last one. The arms industry should not get any more support,” said the group’s chairperson Anna Ek.

“It’s seriously hampering Sweden’s work for peace and disarmament in the world.”