Finland Times

The president made the remarks at a meeting with the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy on Friday.

According to the president, the cooperation will now proceed step by step and it is to be seen how far it goes.

More information about the possible progress of the defence cooperation, according to Niinistö, will be due at the end of January, when the defence ministries of the two nations are expected to complete the report on conditions of deepened defence cooperation.

The president did not interpret the recent increased activity of Russia in the Baltic Sea as a message to Finland but as a case of military exercise which was known beforehand.

The increased military activities in different parts, according to the president, echo the cold war era of the 1980s.

The meeting also discussed Ukraine crisis and Finland’s role in international crisis management, particularly participation of Finnish Defence Forces in international exercises, said an official press release.

As to the rapid reaction forces, the meeting decided that Finland will prepare its participation in 2016 in an EU battle group led by the United Kingdom.