Finland to participate in negotiations on cluster munitions
Government Communications Unit
Press release 361/2007
26.11.2007
On Monday, 26 November, the President of the Republic and the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed Finland’s participation in international negotiations on cluster munitions.
Finland will participate in the negotiations on two forums: in the framework of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) and the Oslo Process (the Oslo Conference on Cluster Munitions). The next meeting of the Oslo Process will take place in Vienna between 5 and 7 December 2007. The aim of the process that started in Oslo in February 2007 is to reach by the end of 2008 an international legally binding treaty that would ban such cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians. Around 80 countries currently participate in the negotiation process.
The President of the Republic and the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy agreed on Finland’s participation in the meeting in Vienna and the mandate of the negotiations. Finland considers it important that the humanitarian problems brought about by cluster munitions be discussed at the international level. In Finland’s opinion, problems involved can be tackled, for example, by improving the technical reliability of cluster munitions. In Finland’s view, the future arrangement must take military requirements into account because cluster munitions have a fundamental role in the development of Finnish defence capabilities.
The President of the Republic and the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy were also informed of the development of defence cooperation with Sweden and Norway. Sweden and Norway have reviewed possibilities for closer defence cooperation between the two countries and welcome Finland in this cooperation as well. Finland has expressed its interest in the cooperation and takes stock of the possibilities.
Further information: Outi Holopainen, Head of Unit, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 6185 and Mari Eteläpää, Head of Unit, Ministry of Defence, tel. +358 9 1608 8135