Finland can join NATO’s ammo purchase team

Defence Minister Jussi Niinistö on Thursday signed a statement of intent at the NATO headquarters in connection with a meeting of NATO ministers of defence.

With the signing the document, Finland can now join the working group which will be established to improve cooperation of ammunition procurement for NATO’s Army, said an official press release.

Invited on the basis of the Enhanced Opportunities Partnership (EOP), Finland and Sweden are the only non-NATO member countries to receive an invitation.

Sweden is assessing whether to take part in the working group. A total of 12 NATO countries are joining.

Participation in the working group supports the Finnish Defence Forces’ work and reduces ammunition costs per unit, if ammunition is procured jointly. In addition, participation will open the doors to cooperation among users of NATO’s ammunition.

Members of the working group will also study the possibility to jointly store ammunition. To take part in this work will contribute to the security of military supply.

Meanwhile in Brussels, Finnish and German defence ministers signed on Thursday a framework agreement on bilateral defence cooperation.

Promoting ongoing projects and recognising cooperation opportunities provide the basis for developing bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries, said a government press release.

The areas listed in the framework agreement cover a wide range of defence cooperation, such as political dialogue, development of capabilities, exchange of information, cooperation within international organisations, research, and materiel cooperation. A framework agreement is not legally binding; it emphasises the political-level commitment of the parties to deepen cooperation.

In addition to the framework agreement, Finland on Friday signed a separate letter of intent on participation in the work of the framework nation concept led by Germany.

The goal of the framework nation is to develop multinational European capabilities and build formations for the needs of, for example, crisis management. Framework nation cooperation is also a strong element in the defence cooperation between Finland and Germany, complementing existing cooperation with regards to operations, training, defence materiel, and so on.