Finland’s participation in crisis management in 2006
Government Communications Unit
Press release 374/2005
9 December, 2005
On Friday, 9 December, the President of the Republic and the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed Finland\'s participation in military crisis management operations and civil crisis management in 2006, the participation of the Finnish Defence Forces in international exercises in 2006 and reviewing the Government resolution on securing the functions vital to society issued in 2003 and the grounds for the review.
Next year, Finland will continue its participation in the Kosovo KFOR operation in the Western Balkans, the EUFOR/Althea operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the ISAF operation in Afghanistan. Furthermore, Finland will train troops for EU battle groups. Finland will also continue its participation in five UN operations.
Finland will participate in civil crisis management operations through the EU and other international cooperation. In addition to operations, Finland will send experts to various bodies of the EU and international organisations. Finland will also participate in short-term election observation missions of the OSCE. Development of EU civil crisis management will be a central priority during Finland’s Presidency of the EU.
The Finnish Defence Forces’ level of participation in international exercises will be lowered in 2006 as part of the Defence Forces’ measures aiming to balance its functions. Finland will not organise any large-scale international exercises during 2006.
The meeting took note of the Security and Defence Committee’s ongoing project to review the Government resolution on securing the functions vital to society that was issued in 2003. The review will be completed next year. The threat models that form the basis for preparedness and the strategic functions appointed to the ministries will be reviewed in a manner required by changes in the security environment.
Further information: Kimmo Lähdevirta, Head of Unit, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 5480, Tiina Jortikka-Laitinen, Counsellor, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 5696, Olli-Pekka Jalonen, Defence Counsellor, Ministry of Defence, tel. +358 9 1608 8154, and Pertti Hyvärinen, General Secretary, Secretariat of the Security and Defence Committee, tel. +358 9 1608 8210.