Finland Times

 

National veterans' Day main programme was held in Mikkeli on Sunday in observance of the day. Photo – Lehtikuva.

Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen on Sunday said the country must continue to maintain a credible military defence regardless of the political situation.

 

Maintenance of defence does not depend on whether the country should be militarily aligned or not, said the prime minister speaking at the National Veterans’ Day ceremony in Mikkeli.

 

Pointing out that no country, and certainly not a small country, would be able in the future to provide and maintain all the necessarily military capabilities on its own, Katainen said cooperation is essential and should also be considered with regard to the country’s defence.

 

File picture of the President, Sauli Niinistö. Photo Lehtikuva.

Finland is not faced with any direct security threat, he reiterated, adding that unpredictability and uncertainty must also be taken into account.

 

Speaking on the occasion, President Sauli Niinistö said if there is no sign of a resolution of the ongoing crisis in Ukrainian, the European Union should seriously consider new sanctions against Russia, reported the national broadcasting corporation Yle.

 

“Now, of course, we all certainly hope that sanctions will not be needed, but, of course, they will have to be discussed if there is no progress or if things take a turn for the worse,” Niinistö told Yle at the National Veterans’ Day event in Mikkeli on Sunday, said the Yle report.

 

The main programme of National Veterans’ Day (kansallinen veteraanipäivä) this year was held in Mikkeli with people from different strata, including some war veterans, gathering to pay respect to the contributions of the patriotic sons of the soil.

 

File picture of the Prime Minister, Jyrki Katainen. Photo Lehtikuva.

Speaking on the occasion, President Niinistö and Prime Minister Katainen remembered the war veterans pointing out their heroic deeds. They admired the contributions of the war veterans and said recalling them with due respect is not only the responsibility of the nation, but also an obligation.

 

The speakers at the programme also discussed various aspects of the defence forces of the country and emphasized the importance of international cooperation in the security and defence policy of Finland.

 

National Veterans’ Day is a remembrance day for all the war veterans in Finland. The day has been being celebrated on April 27 every year since 1986. 

 

The war of Lapland and the Second World War ended in Finland on 27 April 1945, when the last German troops had retreated to Norway (which was at the time still under German occupation) across the border in the municipality of Enontekiö and the Finnish defence forces achieved the three-country border of German-occupied Norway, neutral Sweden and Finland.