Minister Kääriäinen expects new offer from NATO on closer cooperation

Finnish Defence Minister briefs Rumsfeld on Finnish EU Presidency goals

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Finland’s Minister of Defence Seppo Kääriäinen (Centre) believes that NATO will resume discussions in which Finland had been offered the possibility for closer cooperation than before.
      The United States and Britain had proposed closer cooperation in crisis management activities, but the initiative faded away because of objections by smaller NATO member states.
     
Kääriäinen met with United States Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld at the Pentagon late on Thursday. After the meeting he said that the issue would be taken up again.
      "My hosts put forward their thoughts of deeper peace partnership. The idea lives on here in some form, and could well emerge again, but it is difficult to say when this might happen", Kääriäinen said.
      He added that Finland’s positive attitude toward the idea is based more on practical, rather than ideological considerations.
      If Finland were to be involved in NATO-led crisis management operations - as it is now in Afghanistan - Kääriäinen feels that the outcome will be better if Finns were could also take part in advance planning of the operation. This is not now the case.
      Kääriäinen’s two-day visit to Washington was the second during his term as Minister of Defence.
      He said that his visit to the Untied States had two main goals: to brief Defence Secretary Rumsfeld on Finland’s goals for its turn at the EU Presidency, and to go through bilateral administrative matters related to defence.
     
"Our goal is to make sure that the train of EU security policy and crisis management stays on track during the Finnish EU Presidency as well", Kääriäinen said.
      Rumsfeld voiced no concerns on that account; the United States has gradually accepted the idea that the EU is developing a military capability of its own. In the early phases the idea sparked objections, because it was feared that it would overlap with NATO’s activities.
      "I emphasised to Rumsfeld that transatlantic relations need to be protected, even though there have been some problems with them", Kääriäinen said.
     
US-Finnish military ties focus largely on commercial projects. Kääriäinen said that officials at the Pentagon are very interested in the technological know-how of Finnish industry.
      However, the interest has not yet led to significant deals with Finland - in fact, quite the opposite is true.
      Finland is buying plenty of war materiel from the USA. For instance, modernising Finland’s fleet of Hornet jet fighters is a major project for the coming years.
      Plans are to replace the air-to-air missiles on the planes with the newest versions of the heat-seeking Sidewinders over the coming four years. The fighters are also to be fitted with new electronics. In the next decade, the Finnish Air Force plans to acquire its first air-to-ground weapons since the end of last war.
      "These are continuing processes aimed at security Finland’s defence capability in the manner indicated by defence policy reports", Kääriäinen said.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Closer cooperation between Finland and Nato could take some time (12.5.2006)
  Prime Minister Vanhanen welcomes NATO offer of increased cooperation (6.4.2006)
  Estonia’s NATO Ambassador: Small country´s voice is heard in organisation (5.4.2006)
  Finland could be allowed into decision-making on some NATO operations (4.4.2006)

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