Finland's participation in international crisis management
Government Communications Unit
Press Release 357/2008
14 November 2008
On Friday, 14 November, the President of the Republic and the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed Finland’s participation in international crisis management. Key operations include the NATO-led KFOR operation in Kosovo and the ISAF operation in Afghanistan. The current strength of the Finnish peacekeeping force is approximately 450 in KFOR, 100 in ISAF and 60 in Chad.
Finland will prepare to take part in the standby period of two EU battle groups in 2011. The aim is to maintain the current military crisis management level comprising approximately 680 troops. In the western Balkans, troops will be scaled down next year. The strength of Finnish troops is to be reduced once Finland’s responsibilities as the Lead Nation in the Multinational Task Force Centre of the KFOR operation end in autumn 2009. Finland will prepare to withdraw its troops from the EU-led ALTHEA operation in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Participation is to continue in Chad where responsibility for the implementation of the military crisis management operation is to be transferred from the EU to the United Nations in March 2009. Finland will also examine the possibility of an increase in the ISAF troops.
In civilian crisis management, Finland’s level of participation has risen during the year. The number of Finnish civilian crisis management experts is estimated to reach 150. The main challenge is the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, EULEX Kosovo. Finland has deployed approximately 60 specialists to the operation, most of whom are police officers, experts in the rule of law, prison administration specialists or border guards.
In addition, the meeting discussed the state of preparations of the OSCE Ministerial Council to be held in Helsinki on 4-5 December 2008.
Further information: on crisis management Pilvi-Sisko Vierros, Director General, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 5032 and Helena Partanen, Defence Counsellor, Ministry of Defence, tel. +358 9 1608 8135; on the OSCE Ministerial Council Aleksi Härkönen, Head of the Finnish OSCE Chairmanship Task Force, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 5496.