Finland could be allowed into decision-making on some NATO operations

US and UK initiative to involve also Sweden, Australia, and Japan

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Finland could in the future be allowed to take part in certain planning and decision-making processes of NATO even if it does not become a member of the alliance. According to a British and US initiative, Finland and a number of other non-NATO countries would be taken into the decision-making on the kinds of crisis management operations in which they are involved themselves.
      In addition to Finland, the proposed move would involve at least Sweden, Australia, and Japan - all countries which are not NATO members, but which have taken part in NATO operations in Kosovo and Afghanistan, for instance.
      According to a news report on the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE), the issue was taken up at a meeting of NATO ambassadors on Friday. The NATO proposal should be ready in the spring of 2008.
      Finnish official sources have a slightly different view of the scheduling; according to Finnish civil servants, decisions on participation by Finland, Sweden, and other non-NATO countries in the planning and decision-making of NATO operations would be made already at the next NATO summit in Riga at the end of this year. By then, agreement would have been reached with the countries in question.
     
Finland has not yet received an official proposal on the matter from NATO. The news has come through unofficial channels from the US and the UK. The proposal has been discussed in Helsinki only among civil servants of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence. The government’s committee on foreign and security policy has not yet discussed the matter.
      The British and US initiative corresponds fairly well to Finnish goals. Officials in Finland have wanted to become involved in the planning of crisis management operations in which Finland might be involved at an earlier stage than is the case now. This has not yet been possible with respect to operations run by NATO.
      NATO is expected to invite Finland and Sweden to take part in exercises of the NATO Response Force (NRF) in the autumn, as well as the actual operations. Finland has not yet decided on possible participation in the NRF.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  NATO would cost Finland EUR 70 million a year (14.2.2006)
  NATO issue at centre stage in Presidential candidates´ TV debate (19.1.2006)
  Defence Minister denies military exercises being used to bring Finland into NATO (12.1.2006)

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