Finland and Sweden participated in the NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Brussels today. Foreign Minister Haavisto held talks with, among others, the Swedish Foreign Minister and the Secretary General of NATO.
7.4. 15:39 • Updated 7.4. 15:53
BRUSSELS The NATO summit today, Thursday, discussed ways to support Ukraine. The meeting was also attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba.
– He wanted more support from NATO and the countries present at the meeting. It was also important that a number of key countries in the Asian region were present to show that support for Ukraine is very broad, with the Foreign Minister attending the meeting. Pekka Haavisto (green) says to .
At the meeting, Finland highlighted its assistance to Ukraine, ie direct arms and humanitarian aid.
Haavisto also mentioned the NATO debate in Finland and the report to be submitted to Parliament. According to Haavisto, the report is of great interest.
– I have met here with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. He is very interested in both Finland’s schedules and the content of the decisions.
Haavisto also met with the Swedish Foreign Minister
Haavisto also held a long meeting with the Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Linden with.
– We are trying to coordinate how this work is going in Sweden and Finland.
Linde told the Swedish media yesterday that Sweden could end up with a different solution with Finland regarding NATO. According to Haavisto, it would be desirable for Finland and Sweden to make progress on one security issue.
– We have a lot of bilateral security cooperation. We have a lot of military cooperation and we can support each other in air surveillance and maritime surveillance. We are used to working together, Haavisto says.
– That is why it would be good if the NATO solutions in Finland and Sweden are similar.
According to Haavisto, Sweden’s position formation is also taken into account in the Finnish debate.
– Certainly, Finland’s discretion will be affected by both Sweden’s schedules and the content of a possible Swedish decision. I don’t want to go ahead with things about it. Parliament will certainly also take Sweden’s views into account.
Finland is preparing for security challenges
Finland is also preparing for the security challenges related to a possible application for membership.
– If Finland applies for membership, it must prepare for various hybrid and cyber threats and, of course, protect the country in all respects against both new threats and very traditional means of military pressure.
Haavisto believes that the above-mentioned threats would receive help from NATO countries if necessary.
The French Foreign Minister also commented on the situation in Finland and Sweden at the meeting Jean-Yves Le Drian.
– France supports any solution that Finland and Sweden are doing here.
Updated 7.4.2022 at 15.52: Supplemented with additional comments from Haavisto