Finland’s participation in international crisis management 2010 - 2011

Government Communications Unit
Press Release 295/2009

On Friday, 9 October, the President of the Republic and the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed Finland’s participation in international crisis management.

Afghanistan and Kosovo will remain Finland’s key areas in military and civilian crisis management. Finland will also continue to engage in military crisis management in Chad, and Finland will maintain an important role in the EU’s civilian crisis management operation in Georgia. Some 700 soldiers currently participate in military crisis management operations and 150 experts in civilian crisis management functions.

Of the 200 peacekeepers serving in Afghanistan, 86 participate in the ISAF operation’s support functions helping in the organisation of the country’s elections. Finland's priority area remains in northern Afghanistan. In terms of the number of peace keepers, Finland ranks third in the EU Police mission in Afghanistan (EUPOL).

The strength of the KFOR troops in Kosovo will be reduced. For the time being, Finland will continue in the lead nation role of the Multinational Task Force Centre, but the number of Finnish troops will be reduced too. Participation in the EU’s rule-of-law mission EULEX in Kosovo will be continued with about 60 experts.

EU naval operation off the Somali coast has proved successful and the mandate of the operation has been continued. Due to the military crisis management spending limits, Finland would not be able to send a ship to the area until 2011 at the earliest.

Further information: Teemu Tanner, Director General, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 160 55032 and Hannu Ojala, Lieutenant Commander, Staff Officer, Ministry of Defence, tel. +358 9 160 88155