The Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) between Finland and the United States is a natural extension of Finland’s NATO membership, says the US ambassador to Finland Douglas Hickey.
Yesterday, Tuesday, Finland and the United States finished negotiations on a cooperation agreement that lasted more than a year. As a result of the negotiations, a draft of the agreement was written, which will go to political processing next.
Hickey, who gave an interview to today at the US Embassy in Helsinki, says that the fundamental purpose of the agreement is to specify the cooperation already agreed upon in the NATO agreements.
Hickey cites as an example the negotiations on where US troops in Finland are allowed to go.
– It is essential that it is agreed where, when and how the troops can go, says Hickey.
Hopes that the draft of the contract will be made public soon
Hickey did not agree to share the exact details of the draft agreement, as the content of the agreement is still secret. Hickey emphasizes that the agreement must go through political processing in Finland before it becomes binding.
The content of the agreement is expected to become public in the near future, when the meeting between the president and the government tp-utva has processed it. The cooperation agreement enters into force when the Finnish parliament has approved the agreement.
Hickey says that he doesn’t know how long it will take for Finland’s political processing to progress, but hopes that the contents of the negotiations will soon become public.
– The Finnish parliament and all Finns should be informed of what the agreement should contain. We owe it to ourselves, says Hickey.
“Finland maintains its sovereignty”
Hickey did not agree to assess whether Finland or the United States won the negotiations on the details of the cooperation agreement. He says both sides are supposed to benefit from the deal. Also head of the political department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Petri Hakkarainen told yesterday that the negotiations went well.
When asked, for example, about Finnish garrisons where US troops would be allowed to operate under the agreement, Hickey replied that all the places were proposed by Finland.
When asked about common preparation for the Russian threat, Hickey replies that Finland has the full ability to defend itself. Hickey especially praises Finland’s conscription system and Finns’ will to defend their country.
Hickey says the United States expects that more joint military exercises will be organized in Finland in the future. Hickey believes that US soldiers learn from Finnish soldiers, for example, the skills of warfare in the Arctic region.
However, he adds that all military exercises will only be organized at Finland’s initiative.
– Finland retains its right to self-determination, says Hickey.
The agreements strengthen Nordic cooperation
Hickey says the United States is entering into similar defense cooperation agreements with its closest military allies around the world. The United States has similar agreements with more than 20 countries.
At the moment, the United States is especially strengthening its partnerships in the Nordic countries, which is why a similar agreement is currently being negotiated with Sweden and Norway.
According to the ambassador, the agreements will create a stronger defense mechanism for the entire Nordic region, while cooperation between the Nordic countries will also deepen.
American soldiers under US jurisdiction
According to Hickey, US soldiers arriving in Finland under the defense cooperation agreement are under US jurisdiction.
The practice is common in US defense cooperation agreements with numerous other countries as well.
If a US soldier commits a crime while in Finland, he will not be tried in Finland but in the US criminal court.
Hickey says he is sure that the American soldiers will behave impeccably when they are in Finland.
– We expect our troops to behave well, and they do, Hickey promises.