Foreign Minister Tuomioja: Finland will not promote alternatives that divide the EU

Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja assured at the EU foreign minister meeting in Greece that Finland was actively participating in debate on EU defence. He reiterated Finnish standpoint against the creation of a defence core and placed wide cooperation between all member states as Finland’s primary choice.

“There is no reason for Finland to promote any solution which would only divide the Union”, he said in Kastellorizo, Greece, on Saturday, 3 May. “If we try to force a form of cooperation which does not include all members, we can be sure it does not strengthen the common foreign and security policy of the EU”, he added.

Foreign Minister Tuomioja: Finland does not support European defence union