2012
Government Communications Unit: Finland’s participation in international crisis management
On Friday 13 April, the President of the Republic and the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed Finland's participation in international crisis management.
At the moment, Finland has some 250 soldiers and 120 civilian crisis management experts deployed to crisis management operations. In both military and civilian crisis management the focus is currently on Afghanistan.
In 2012, Finland will withdraw 50 soldiers from its troop of 195 soldiers deployed to the ISAF operation in Afghanistan. As of this May, Finland will participate in the UNIFIL operation in southern Lebanon. Finland is also making preparations in case of a UN request to deploy approximately ten persons to an observer mission as part of the efforts to stabilize the situation in Syria. The meeting also discussed Finland’s participation in the EU crisis management measures in the Horn of Africa region.
Finland will continue to take part in the EU Battlegroup and the NATO Response Force (NRF). As regards the EU Battlegroup, Finland will continue its participation in the related standby periods. Within the NATO framework, Finland will participate in the exercise activities of the Response Forces Pool (RFP) supplementing the activities of the NRF.
The meeting also discussed exchange of information in relation to the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) between Finland and the United States.
Inquiries: (crisis management) Anu Laamanen, Deputy Director-General, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 5006, and Helena Partanen, Director of Unit, Ministry of Defence, tel. +358 9 1608 8135; (VWP) Erkki Hämäläinen, Director of International Affairs, Ministry of the Interior, tel. +358 71 878 8570