Finland and Sweden will jointly purchase man-portable firearms and anti-tank weapons, the Finnish Defense Ministry said, Reuters reported.

The two countries are stepping up cooperation in Finnish defense procurement by joining an agreement to acquire anti-tank weapons from Swedish arms manufacturer Saab Dynamics.

Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen also authorized preparations for a joint purchase of small arms, including assault rifles, shotguns and personal defense weapons, the ministry said in a statement.

The agreement on anti-tank weapons allows the purchase of missiles, recoilless rifles, ammunition and other related equipment. Procurement is pending individual investment decisions.

Joint procurement, made possible by enforcement documents, will improve the availability of critical defense equipment to Finland and Sweden, as the countries will be able to operate on the basis of the same commercial agreement, the report says.