Finland considers proposal of joint Nordic air surveillance over Iceland

Nordic Countries may monitor sea areas in Arctic where ice is decreasing

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The Nordic Countries could become involved in extensive military cooperation in joint projects in parts of the Arctic region that are opening up to navigation in the wake of climate change.
     “The fact is that the Arctic ice is melting”, says former Norwegian Foreign minister Thorvald Stoltenberg on Monday as he published 13 different proposals for Nordic cooperation in foreign and security policy.
     The proposals would raise cooperation to a completely new level. The foreign ministers commissioned an independent proposal in June last year.
     
The proposals, which were made public at an unofficial meeting of Nordic foreign ministers in Oslo on Monday, could also lead to Finnish jet fighters patrolling the air space of Iceland from 2010.
     Under the proposal, keeping an eye on Iceland’s skies would revert to the control of the Nordic Countries in three stages.
     
Meanwhile, joint Nordic sea surveillance would extend to the increasingly busy Arctic regions, to help in rescue operations. Eventually, the area could be monitored by a joint Nordic Arctic satellite system.
     After the monitoring of Iceland’s airspace, Stoltenberg’s proposal for a promise of mutual assistance among the Nordic Countries raised a good deal of interest.
     Under the proposal, each of the countries should say how they would act “if some Nordic country were to be the target of an external attack or improper pressure”.
     
“We feel that the proposals are interesting”, said Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb (Nat. Coalition Party), adding quickly that his comment was not intended as a rejection of the proposals.
     At the press conference he added that Finland “takes a positive view of the proposals”.
     Stoltenberg got almost nothing but praise from the other foreign ministers as well, but no promises were forthcoming yet.
     Each country has time to evaluate the projects until official stands are drawn up in May.
     “There are probably some unrealistic projects there as well. We specifically wanted some wild proposals”, Stubb said.
      Even if defence cooperation were to be significantly increased, Stubb does not feel that it could constitute a military alliance.
     
“This will not be called a defence alliance. Finland remains a country that is not a part of any military alliance”, he said.
     Norway’s Foreign Minister Jens Gahr Støre emphasised that Stoltenberg’s proposals do not take issue on decisions by the Nordic Countries on military alliances.
     Iceland, Norway and Denmark are in NATO, while Sweden, Finland and Denmark are members of the European Union.
     
According to Sverre Lodgaard , director of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, the importance of the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean in navigation is growing fast, and Norway will need help in building the necessary monitoring, rescue, and harbour capacity.
     Correspondingly, Norway is ready to increase its participation in cooperation in the Baltic Sea, which is important for Finland, Sweden, and Denmark.
      “Arctic cooperation is a positive carrot. For Finland and Sweden, it is all on the plus side”, Stubb said.
     Of the Nordic countries, Finland and Sweden do not have any shoreline in Arctic sea areas, nor are they involved in developing the Arctic regions.

More on this subject:
 COMMENTARY: Cooperation of the overly sensitive

Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finland could join Nordic air surveillance effort in Iceland (4.2.2009)

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