Stubb: Finland has flexibility to make new Afghanistan decision

Finland will make new assessment if Sweden cuts forces

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Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb (Nat. Coalition Party) says that Finland is capable of making a rapid reassessment of its forces in Afghanistan if Sweden’s possible reappraisal gives cause for it.
      “This government and the President have the flexibility needed to handle the matter again”, said Stubb in Brussels on Tuesday.
      Stubb met with NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. Discussions were also held on the operation in Afghanistan.
     
Finland is currently looking closely at what Sweden decides on the number of its crisis management forces in Afghanistan and on the timetable for withdrawal.
      Sweden’s new minority government needs to take the views of the parliamentary opposition into account. The country’s Greens, Social Democrats, and the Left Party have all called for a rapid repatriation of the 500 Swedish soldiers now in Afghanistan.
      Finland currently has 180 soldiers in Afghanistan serving with the ISAF crisis management forces. The quota is to rise to 195. Finland’s forces are in the same unit as those of Sweden, which is why Sweden's decisions have a direct bearing on those of Finland.
     
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt has been keeping Stubb abreast of the progress on the talks.
      “My own assessment is that Sweden’s basic policy line will not change”, Stubb said on Tuesday.
      This would mean that full responsibility for security would be transferred to the Afghanis themselves by 2014. Finland is also committed to this principle.
     
The number of Swedish forces remains open. Stubb said that Finland would assess the size of its own forces according to the size of the Swedish contingent.
      Originally Finland was supposed to reassess its troop strength in late 2011.
     
Stubb appealed to Finnish politicians not to use the Afghanistan operation to score points in the upcoming Parliamentary election campaign.
      “Let’s hope that Afghanistan will not be used as a pawn in the elections. That would be cheap, dangerous, and irresponsible”, Stubb said.
      He appealed to Finnish politicians for 100 per cent support for the Finnish operation in Afghanistan.
      During his meeting with the NATO Secretary General, Stubb also spoke about matters related to NATO strategy and Russia.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Two Swedish soldiers killed in Afghanistan (8.2.2010)
  Government ponders Afghanistan confusion (28.10.2009)
  Afghanistan: Now it’s Finland’s war, too (16.6.2009)

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