Defence Minister: Nordic cooperation might save defence costs

Jyri Häkämies

Jens Stoltenberg

print this

Minister of Defence Jyri Häkämies (Nat. Coalition Party) says that proposals for closer defence cooperation among the Nordic Countries are “interesting”.
      “This is a positive proposal, but one that requires consideration and thought, and it should not be overemphasised”, Häkämies said to Helsingin Sanomat on Tuesday.
      On Monday, Norway’s former foreign and defence minister Thorvald Stoltenberg presented a list of 13 proposals aimed at closer foreign and security policy cooperation.
     
The proposals included the idea of air surveillance cooperation in Iceland and an initiative for Nordic mutual solidarity if one of the countries were to be targets from an external attack or pressure.
      Häkämies says that cooperation can be implemented in such a way that each country agrees to take responsibility for some specific task, in which it could specialise.
      “I think that this is an opportunity to think about what might be done more, in a better fashion, and producing joint benefits. If we want significant cost savings, then we will need to make decisions on specialising, and go deeper”, Häkämies says.
     
Would Finland be taking another step toward NATO membership by accepting these proposals?
      “No matter what we say in these matters, someone will always want to raise the NATO spectre. I would simply like to remind people that there is also considerable national support for discussion on Nordic cooperation”, Häkämies said.
      According to Häkämies, the security clause would not automatically mean that if someone attacks Norway, Finland would have to go to war on its behalf.
      “I think that in its own thinking, Norway’s starting point is the security guarantees it enjoys with NATO. Perhaps it is better for us not to speculate any more on this matter. It is probably a good idea to think what this could mean for each country.”
     
Norway’s Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, the son of Thorvald Stoltenberg, commented on the initiative on Tuesday in Helsinki, where he was attending a meeting of SAMAK – the forum for the Nordic cooperation between the social democrats and the trade union movement.
      Prime Minister Stoltenberg said that possible areas of cooperation could include materiel acquisitions, training, and servicing work.
      He feels that the security clause would primarily involve taking the next step in Nordic mutual solidarity.
      “Naturally, this cannot weaken the mutual solidarity of NATO countries, and of course we do not need to go as far as has been gone among the NATO countries", said Stoltenberg.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finland considers proposal of joint Nordic air surveillance over Iceland
  Finland could join Nordic air surveillance effort in Iceland (4.2.2008)
  Defence policy report: Finland “strongly” considering NATO (26.1.2009)

Helsingin Sanomat