NATO permanent representatives to visit Finland

NATO permanent representatives to visit Finland

Permanent representatives of NATO member states will visit Rovaniemi and Rovajärvi in Finland on 20-21 November. Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will take part in the program on Thursday and Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen on Friday.

This will be the first time since Finland's accession to the Alliance that permanent representatives of NATO member states visit Finland. The permanent representatives, or NATO ambassadors, represent their countries in the North Atlantic Council.

"With Finland as a member, the Arctic has grown in significance for NATO. The purpose of this visit is to highlight the importance of the northeast corner of the Alliance and to give the permanent representatives a deeper understanding of Finland as an Ally," Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen says.

The permanent representatives will learn about Finland's homeland defence, defence industry, comprehensive security and civil defence and hear of Finnish experiences as NATO's frontline country.

It is an opportunity for the ambassadors to gain first-hand experience of the Arctic conditions where NATO's forthcoming Forward Land Forces (FLF) Finland will be operating. The FLF Finland will train and exercise regularly in its area of operations, including their ability to scale up to brigade level.

"Just over a year ago, our Allies endorsed our proposal to establish the FLF Finland. I am pleased that we have been able to make rapid progress in the implementation. The FLF Finland is an important part of NATO's enhanced deterrence and defence in the High North. The contribution of Sweden as the framework nation and of the United Kingdom, France, Italy and the other Nordic countries, Norway, Denmark and Iceland, is a testament to the unity of the Alliance," Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen says.

The permanent representatives will also visit the exercise Northern Strike 25 in Rovajärvi where they will learn about training and exercising in Arctic conditions and about Finland's conscription system.

Representatives from NATO's International Staff and International Military Staff will also be among the visitors.