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Home NATIONALNiinistö supports Juncker's proposal
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Mon, 09 Mar, 2015 12:00:01 AM
EC president proposes EU army
FTimes-STT-Xinhua Report, Mar 9

President Sauli Niinistö on Sunday strongly backed the concept of developing a European Union army, an idea proposed by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

Talking to News Agency STT, Niinistö said that it would be good for Finland to support the idea given by the European Commission president describing the proposal as very interesting.

The European Union is founded upon peace which is a key value, and it is strange that there is no support behind to provide assurance, said Niinistö

Niinistö said as the president he has been consistent in advocating this kind of idea. The Finnish president, however, said he had not heard about the proposal before it became public.

"It would be good for Finland to support this. It would be a serious and genuine expression for the EU to defend its values," said Niinistö.

This also has to be done with the approval of the EU citizens, said the president.

The citizens, according to the president appreciate these circumstances, particularly if the EU take on that the issue is based on peace and stability more than it has been done up to now.

Niinistö did not comment in length how Russia would react if the EU is to develop its own army.

"It is not our headache. However, when we have the EU which is founded upon peace, this is the natural thing," said Niinistö.

Earlier, the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker has called for the creation of an European Union (EU) army, reported News Agency Xinhua quoting a report of German Newspaper Die Welt published on Sunday.

Xinhua adds:  "Such an army would help us to build a common foreign and security policy and jointly assume the responsibilities of Europe in the world," Juncker told the newspaper.

Europe could react credibly to a threat to peace in a member state or in a neighbouring EU country with its own army, so Russia could get the impression "that we are serious about upholding the values of the European Union", said Juncker.

He stressed the symbolic value of such a project that a common European army would show the world that there will never be war again between EU countries.

It is not a rival to NATO, but of common sense the responsibility of Europe in the world, said Junker.

Also on Sunday, German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said in an interview with German radio Deutschlandfunk that the German army was willing to give the command of some troops to another nation in special cases.

The Defense Minister made the comment after her trip to Warsaw on Wednesday.  According to Die Welt, during her trip to Warsaw, Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU needed in the foreseeable future an army.  

On Friday, the German army announced for the first time in the history to put a battalion of 600 soldiers under Polish command in mid-2016, while a German Brigade will take command of a Polish battalion in return.

In 2014, the Netherlands had already put 2100 soldiers under German command. In return, the German army plans to be affiliated with the Dutch naval forces.

 

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