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Sat, 11 Apr, 2015 12:05:51 AM FTimes – STT Report, April 11  Defence Minister Carl Haglund. Photo – Lehtikuva. Defence Minister Carl Haglund on Friday said defence cooperation among the Nordic countries is not something new.
The minister’s response came after the Norwegian daily Aftenposten on Thursday ran an op-ed text signed by five Nordic ministers outlining deepened defence cooperation among the Nordic countries.
According to the Aftenposten, the agreement is a result of Russia’s aggressive conduct in the vicinity of the Nordic countries.
According to Haglund, the defence cooperation is based on a previously agreed upon decision and not a case of a new project.
Haglund said the agreement was scheduled to be published in several newspapers in the Nordic countries; however, the Norwegian daily published it in advance.
According to Haglund, the Swedes proposed an idea to draft an opinion statement, based on which the Nordic countries would all together agree the concrete steps to be taken in their collaboration.
The Parliamentary Defence Committee was, however, not informed about the agreement, because it did not contain anything new.
Haglund also said the timing of the report’s publication has nothing to do with the Finnish parliamentary elections.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Russia had not made contact following the publication of the report.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja stated that Russia had no reason to react to the deepened defence collaboration between the Nordic countries.
Tuomioja said the cooperation is transparent and not directed towards Russia.
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Finland Times
| Sunday, 28 April, 2024 |
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