Finland to participate in NATO meetings in Chicago

Government Communications Unit
Press release 149/2012
11.5.2012

On Friday 11 May, the President of the Republic and the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed Finland's participation in the NATO meetings to be held in Chicago on 20-21 May. Finland will attend the NATO Summit on Afghanistan and the NATO meeting with partners. The Finnish delegation will be led by the President of the Republic.

As regards Afghanistan, the meeting will discuss the funding of the security forces in Afghanistan and the follow-up mission to the ISAF operation. Finland will continue to support Afghanistan in accordance with the Government report on Afghanistan, submitted to Parliament in 2011. Finland welcomes the planned follow-up mission to the ISAF operation and will consider, at a later stage, the possibility of participating in the mission. The meeting with partners will discuss cooperation between NATO and its partner countries.

The President of the Republic and the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy also discussed Finland's preparations for the UN Conference on 2-27 July. The conference is to reach agreement on an international Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). Finland co-sponsored the resolution which initiated the negotiating process in 2006, and has continued to work actively for an agreement on the ATT. It is important that arms trade be governed by international regulation.

The Committee also discussed the studying of the possibilities to participate in air surveillance in Iceland together with other Nordic countries on the basis of a proposal put forward by Iceland.

Inquiries: Kirsti Kauppi, Director-General, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 5033; Karoliina Honkanen, Defence Policy Adviser, Ministry of Defence, tel. +358 9 1608 8268 (NATO Summit); and Pia Hillo, Counsellor, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 5584 (ATT)