The defense ministers will report on the results of the meeting starting at 1:30 p.m.
13:00•Updated 13:15
The defense ministers of the Baltic and Nordic countries are currently meeting in Visby, Gotland.
Finland is represented at the meeting by the Minister of Defense Antti Kaikkonen (middle).
The defense ministers will hold a joint press conference at 1:30 p.m. Finnish time.
The joint meeting of the Nordic and Baltic countries discussed defense cooperation, the regional security situation and Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine.
The defense ministers of Finland, Sweden and Norway want to deepen cooperation
The ministers emphasized the importance and further deepening of defense cooperation when all five Nordic countries become NATO members.
– Cooperation between our countries has been valuable in these demanding times. The security situation in Europe has weakened due to the war in Ukraine. It is important to stay together in these times, Defense Minister Kaikkonen said at a press conference last week.
Increasing cooperation means, among other things, increasing the joint military exercises of Norway, Finland and Sweden.
Last week, the possibility of a NATO base in Finland also came up in the discussion.
Kaikkonen commented by saying that the discussions are just ahead.
– There are discussions ahead of what NATO’s possible presence is in Finland and Sweden. I don’t want to rule out any option, Kaikkonen answered.
Kaikkonen also said that in his one-on-one meeting with the Norwegian Minister of Defense, he discussed Norway’s experiences as a NATO member.