NATO Deputy Secretary General discusses climate change and defence in Helsinki

  • 29 Aug. 2019 -
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  • Last updated: 29 Aug. 2019 17:27

NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller visited Helsinki on Thursday (29 August 2019) to participate in an informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers. At a working session on climate change and defence, the Deputy Secretary General noted that climate change affects the security of Allied and partner nations. She outlined five ways in which NATO is tackling climate change – through strategic analysis; support for scientific cooperation; enhancing energy efficiency and environmental protection in the military; building resilience to natural disasters; and capability planning.

During her visit to Helsinki, the Deputy Secretary General also met with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen, and Chief of Defence General Timo Kivinen. Discussions focused on NATO’s close partnership with Finland, security in the Baltic Sea region, hybrid threats, and NATO-EU cooperation. Gottemoeller praised Finland for its participation in NATO missions in Afghanistan, Kosovo and Iraq. She also thanked Finland for its support for strengthened NATO-EU cooperation, including through the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats in Helsinki.

Later in the day, the Deputy Secretary General addressed students and academics at an event hosted by the Estonian Embassy and the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. She spoke on disruptive technology and arms control.