Finland interested in participating in NATO's rapid reaction crisis management exercises

Government Communications Unit

Press release 387/2006
2.11.2006

On Thursday, 2 November, the President of the Republic and the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed Finland's participation in NATO’s Response Force (NRF) exercises and the reviewed Strategy for Securing the Functions Vital to Society.

The development of the interoperability and effectiveness of Finnish Defence Forces’ crisis management capabilities will be continued in conformity with the guidelines outlined by reports on Finnish security and defence policy and the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy with an aim to enable Finland’s participation in demanding multinational crisis management operations also in future.

The EU has decided to lean on the NATO standards in the development of its crisis management capabilities. In the forthcoming years, the EU will participate in NATO's and other international and national exercises instead of organising its own separate military crisis management exercises. Accordingly, it is important for the development of Finland’s crisis management capabilities to participate in NATO exercises.

Apart from the exercises relating to collective defence (Article V), NATO has decided to offer access to most of its exercise programme to willing and able partnership countries. Rapid response capabilities will be rehearsed within the framework of NATO’s standard exercise programme.

Finland is, in principle, prepared to participate in NATO’s rapid reaction exercises offered to partnership countries. Participation of the Finnish Defence Forces in international military exercises will be discussed separately each year.

The meeting discussed the proposal prepared by the Security and Defence Committee for a reviewed Strategy for Securing the Functions Vital to Society. A Government resolution concerning the strategy will be issued as soon as possible. The reviewed strategy has been prepared in cooperation with all administrative sectors and it will replace the previous strategy adopted in November 2003.

Further information: Anne Sipiläinen, Deputy Director General, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 5519, Olli-Pekka Jalonen, Head of Unit, Ministry of Defence, tel. +358 9 1608 8154 and Pertti Hyvärinen, General Secretary, Secretariat of the Security and Defence Committee, tel. +358 9 1608 8210.