{"id":35143,"date":"2018-05-11T17:21:29","date_gmt":"2018-05-11T17:21:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/05\/11\/interview-finlands-defense-minister-talks-air-defense-eu-procurement-regulations\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:53:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:53:23","slug":"interview-finlands-defense-minister-talks-air-defense-eu-procurement-regulations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/interviews\/2018\/05\/11\/interview-finlands-defense-minister-talks-air-defense-eu-procurement-regulations\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview: Finland\u2019s defense minister talks air defense, EU procurement regulations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 Finland\u2019s defense minister, Jussi Niinist\u00f6, visited the Pentagon May 8 to sign a letter pledging greater trilateral cooperation<\/a> between his nation, the United States and Sweden. After the event, he talked with Defense News about his goals for the meeting, shared concerns about the European Union\u2019s new defense initiative and Finland\u2019s relationship with NATO. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finland just signed a new statement on trilateral defense cooperation with the U.S. and Sweden, but it\u2019s fairly broad language. What do you see as the most concrete part of the agreement?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firstly, I have to say it is not a \u201ctrilateral agreement,\u201d in a legally binding way. It is a statement of intent, and there is a big difference with that. I think the most important part of the statement of intent is the exercise part. We have had good exercise cooperation with the United States and Sweden lately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, last year, Sweden arranged a multinational exercise called Aurora<\/a>, [in] which both U.S. and Finland participated. For instance, right now in Finland there is an Army exercise called Arrow, there are U.S. Marines taking part in that. In the autumn, there will be a big exercise in Norway called Trident Juncture<\/a> \u2015 high-visibility exercise. Finland will be taking part with 1,500 or up to 2,000 soldiers, and also Sweden is taking part in that big exercise. Remember that in 2021, Finland will be arranging a similar kind of exercise like Sweden did with the Aurora exercise, so we will have over 20,000 soldiers in Finland, and the most important partners in that exercise are the Untied States and Sweden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the 2021 exercise has been in the works for a while. So does this change that at all?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, it is a cooperation done on a win-win basis. We go to exercise, for instance, to Sweden or the United States, Finnish Air Force is taking part at Red Flag exercise in October this year. This is the first time in Finnish Air Force history that we take part in this biggest exercise in the world. The United States comes to our exercise. So everybody hopes to benefit in this cooperation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finland has been very supportive of the <\/b>EU Permanent Structured Cooperation on Security and Defence <\/b>initiative, but the U.S. has been wary<\/a>. Did that topic come up during your talks with U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it was a topic. PESCO is a topic, I guess. Every time Secretary Mattis meets with a European counterpart, he will talk about PESCO. And I understand it. We talk with the same voice on this issue<\/a> because, for instance, the United States defense industry is worried about this PESCO project, [if it will] lead to the fact that every country in the European Union has to buy defense products from the European Union. And Finland doesn\u2019t want it to be like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have a strong opinion that we want to buy the best available defense material, wherever we want, because since 1992, when Finland decided to buy F-18 fighter planes, we have been practically married with United States defense technology, and we buy a lot of stuff, from Israel also. So for a country like Finland, which is militarily nonaligned and has territorial defense, [it] has to take care of defense on her own if needed. Of course we hope partners [will come to our aid], but alone if needed. It\u2019s very important that PESCO is not excluding [non-EU industries].<\/p>\n\n\n\t