Close and comprehensive interaction with the Nordic countries is important for Finland, and Nordic cooperation has significantly intensified in recent years.
The Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO) aims at gaining advantage through networking for the development and use of defence capability. The basis for cooperation is strengthened through defence policy dialogue and target setting as well as practical cooperation between the defence forces.
From the military point of view, deepening cooperation aims at cost-effectiveness with which it is possible to secure resources for the national development and use of the most important operational capabilities. In addition, cooperation results in interoperability, which allows closer cooperation in training, exercises, acquisition of defence materiel and crisis-management operations for the Nordic defence forces in the future.
Military cooperation is conducted in five areas: strategic development, capabilities, human resources and education, training and exercises, and operations.
Chairmanship rotates annually among Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
History
The roots of the Nordic defence cooperation reach back to the 1960s. At the time, the cooperation encompassed exchange of information and cooperation in peacekeeping. Furthermore, the Nordic peacekeeping training centres established a groundbreaking division of labour: as Denmark specialized in military police courses, Finland trained military observers, Norway logistics personnel and Sweden staff officers.
In the 1990s and 2000s this long tradition led to an extended cooperation. Three separate structures were created: Nordic Armaments Co-operation (NORDAC) in 1994, Nordic Coordinated Arrangement for Military Peace Support (NORDCAPS) in 1997 and Nordic Supportive Defence Structures (NORDSUP) in 2008. In order to streamline their efforts, the Nordic Defence Ministers decided in 2009 to merge the three separate structures, thus creating NORDEFCO (Nordic Defence Cooperation).
Operation and Objectives
History, values, common operating environment and social structures tie the Nordic countries together exceptionally closely, but their basic foreign and security policy solutions have traditionally differed. However, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent change in the security situation in Europe have had a significant impact on Nordic defence cooperation. The decision of Finland and Sweden to join NATO and Denmark's decision to participate in the EU's defence cooperation have created preconditions for significantly deepening Nordic cooperation.
Nordic defence cooperation does not compete with the EU and NATO, but is a complementing arrangement. Nordic defence cooperation strengthens the deterrence and defence of the Euro-Atlantic region that is based on shared interests and flexibility. NORDEFCO's activities are guided by a long-term plan called Vision 2025, drawn up in 2018, in which the Nordic countries set clear targets for development in the coming years. In November 2022, the Nordic defence ministers decided to draw up a new vision for NORDEFCO due to the changed operating environment and the decision of Finland and Sweden to join NATO. The new vision will be prepared in 2023 under Swedish chair.
Structure
NORDEFCO does not have permanent political structures, but the operation is based on regular meetings and communication.
The Nordic Defence Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and heads of defence policy departments each tend to meet biannually. The ministerial meeting is prepared by the Policy Steering Committee (PSC) consisting of heads of departments from Defence Ministries, and its operation is prepared by an expert-level meeting. At the military level the cooperation is led by the Military Coordination Committee (MCC), assisted by the Coordination Staff (CS).
