Finland and Sweden have agreed to set up a joint military unit for the rapid action forces of the European Union. Prime Ministers Matti Vanhanen (Centre) and Göran Persson announced that they had agreed on EU military cooperation after discussions on Monday.
The two also expressed the hope that Norway would join the force, even though it is not a member of EU.
In their discussions in the border cities of Haparanda (Sweden) and Tornio (Finland), the leaders also discussed ways to maintain the special EU subsidies for northern regions.
The EU has as its goal the establishment of ten battle groups to be ready for deployment by 2007.
As Vanhanen sees it, the forces would be sent to perform the same kinds of peacekeeping duties that Finnish forces have been used for previously.
"In this we are aiming at speed, so that the crises that arise can be affected as quickly as possible", the Finnish Prime Minister said.
Vanhanen and Persson discussed the issue of EU subsidies for northern areas at a seminar on the Swedish side in Haparanda on Monday morning. At the seminar, officials and influential business figures discussed different ways of developing the northern areas of the two countries.
Both leaders see the trans-border cooperation between the two countries as exemplary.
Special praise was lavished on the construction of a common city centre for Haparanda and Tornio, and the Bothnian Arc of Knowledge project, for which the Swedish government has granted 30 million krona, according to Persson.
Vanhanen and Persson crossed the border from Haparanda to Tornio on foot.
