Finland and Sweden ready to participate in NATO Response Force

Vanhanen: Decisions on operations not expected before end of year

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Finland and Sweden are ready to take part in the rapid response operations of NATO.
      According to Erkki Tuomioja (SDP), the Minister for Foreign Affairs in the outgoing government, the countries have prepared a common set of guidelines in which they announce to NATO their "readiness to give positive consideration to participation" in forces that complement operations. NATO will be given official notification in the coming days.
      Tuomioja says that the decision to deploy forces in operations is to be made by Parliament on a case-by-case basis according to the law on crisis management.
      "This is not an advance commitment for taking part in operations", Tuomioja said on Saturday to Helsingin Sanomat.
      Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) says that the government could consider taking part in the Nato Reaction Force at the end of this year at the earliest.
      According to Tuomioja and Vanhanen, a positive attitude toward NRF operations would be a consistent follow-up to previous decisions to take part in the exercises. Tuomioja emphasised that the decision does not constitute taking a step toward NATO membership.
     
The supplementary forces take part in the same kinds of operations as the regular forces of NATO member states. NATO would use supplementary forces from the Partnership for Peace countries, if the troops of member states that have been committed were to prove to be unavailable, or if they are needed elsewhere.
      Tuomioja notes that the move does not create an obligation for Finland to be on call for NRF deployment "at this stage".
      The NRF forces of the various countries take turns at being on readiness for deployment. Under this system, Finland would be required to take a turn in readiness, before Finnish troops are deployed on any operation.
      The window for taking part in the NRF forces opened up last autumn when NATO announced that it would accept the participation of non-members who are in the Partnership for Peace. The Foreign and Security Policy Committee of the government and the President expressed the view that Finland can take part in NRF exercises.
      President Tarja Halonen said in November that Finland cannot commit itself to participating in the NRF forces.
      The government has not publicly taken a stand on involvement in any operations, although prior to the March elections the leaders of the three largest parties were in favour of it.
      Tuomioja said that the Foreign and Security Policy Committee has not formally discussed the matter even now. Instead, because of time constraints caused by the Parliamentary elections, among other things, the members of the committee have discussed it in other connections. Tuomioja emphasises that there are no political disagreements on the issue. Parliament has not yet been officially informed about the decision.
     
Finland and Sweden began preparations for the matter in January, when the defence ministers of the two countries met in Finland, Tuomioja pointed out. After that, preparations have proceeded in "normal order", and nothing has been hidden. According to the daily Aamulehti, Tuomioja, an outspoken opponent of NATO membership, would have concealed the matter during the election campaign.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Sweden more positive than Finland toward NATO Response Force (11.12.2006)
  Opposition leader welcomes NATO initiative, Prime Minister sceptical (30.11.2006)
  Finland and Sweden make proposal to NATO on peace partnership (17.10.2006)

Links:
  NATO Response Force, NRF

Helsingin Sanomat