NATO Secretary General welcomes deepening cooperation and dialogue with Finland and Sweden
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed Finland and Sweden’s important political and practical contributions to NATO in talks with Finnish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Timo Soini and Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström on Tuesday (1 December 2015). The meeting took place in the margins of NATO’s Foreign Ministerial.
The Secretary General and both ministers discussed ongoing work to expand exchanges of information, including on hybrid warfare, coordinating training and exercises, and developing better joint situational awareness. All of this work will allow NATO, Finland and Sweden to more effectively address common threats and develop joint actions, if needed. Talks are also underway on how to include partners in the enhanced NATO Response Force. Allies are working closely with Finland and Sweden to assess security in the Baltic Sea region.
Finland and Sweden are two of five partners – alongside Australia, Georgia, and Jordan – which the Alliance has identified as making particularly significant contributions to NATO operations. Both Finland and Sweden contribute troops to NATO’s missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo. At the Wales Summit last year, NATO leaders agreed to deepen dialogue and practical cooperation with these five “Enhanced Opportunity” partners.