Finland´s involvement vital in dev of EU defence policy

Prime Minister Juha Sipilä on Friday said it is essential that Finland be closely involved in the development of the EU’s defence policy.

The PM at a meeting with the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini in Oulu also pointed out the importance of the EU common defence, according to an official press release.

Mogherini thanked Finland for its active involvement in the EU’s defence cooperation and in its further development.

“Finland’s policy is an ambitious one, and we hope that progress can also be made in terms of permanent structured cooperation. The discussions with High Representative Mogherini were useful, and I highlighted some of our priority projects, such as space cooperation and expertise in countering hybrid threats. I hope that very soon we can build a considerable number of partnerships around our projects,” said Sipilä.

The Prime Minister also informed her about his telephone conversations with the French President Emmanuel Macron that took place on Monday in this regard.

“I also informed High Representative Mogherini about my telephone conversation on Monday with French President Emmanuel Macron. President Macron, too, feels that developing the EU’s common defence is extremely important. It is essential that Finland, being closely involved in the development of the EU’s defence policy, maintains an effective and close dialogue with France,” said Sipilä.

The European Council will discuss defence cooperation next week in Brussels.

The Prime Minister also hosted a lunch where Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini, EU Commissioner responsible for Arctic policy Karmenu Vella, and Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland were present.

The lunch discussions also focused on Arctic policy, Russia and the United States.

In Oulu, Sipilä also attended another event, ‘A Sustainable Arctic – Innovative Approaches’, aimed at adding momentum to the dialogue on the EU’s Arctic policy, as part of international relations, and to the development of the Arctic regions of the EU.