Finland continues to participate in peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan

Government Communications Unit

Press release 290/2005
23 September 2005




On Friday, 23 September, the President of the Republic and the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed Finland's actions in Afghanistan and participation in the Global Partnership Programme launched by the G8 countries in 2002.

Finland currently takes part in the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) with 92 peacekeepers. 60 of them are deployed in Kabul mainly for civilian-military cooperation, 28 soldiers are in the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Maimana, 2 in the PRT in Mazar-i-Sharif and 2 in the Regional Area Coordinator (RAC) team in Kanduz in the north. In addition, Finland has had three civilian experts in Maimana since July 2004. A decision was made to continue Finland's participation.

Finland participates in the Global Partnership Programme

Finland jointed the Global Partnership Programme in 2003. The Programme aims to ensure the safety of the stockpiles and programmes of weapons and materials of mass destruction (WMD) taken in possession in the former Soviet Union and to destroy them in a controlled manner. So far, Finland has participated in the Programme's projects that, for example, aim at destroying chemical weapons and improving nuclear safety in Russia. Currently, Finland is planning to participate in a US-coordinated project supporting the shutdown and replacement of the plutonium production reactor of the Zheleznogorsk nuclear power plant in Russia. The project's objective is to shut down the nuclear power plant by the end of 2010.

Further information: Pekka Metso, Head of Unit, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 6308, Kimmo Lähdevirta, Head of Unit, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 5480 and Laura Kansikas-Debraise, Head of Unit, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 6185 or +358 40 551 6534