Finland plans to sign a cooperation agreement in the field of defense (DCA) with the United States, in which Washington will gain access to 15 military facilities located in Finnish territory.
According to the Finland Foreign Ministry, the contract will be signed on December 18 in Washington.
The department reminded that Finland decided to start negotiations with the United States on DCA in August 2022.
The cooperation agreement in the field of defense will even more deepen the bilateral allied relations between Finland and the United States. The DCA agreement strengthens the security and defense potential of Finland and ensures cooperation in all safety situations. The agreement also is of great importance in regional terms and contributes to the participation of Finland in the implementation of the general defense of NATO, ”said Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, whose words are given in the message.
It is noted that the DCA agreement will allow the American military to place its bases, warehouses, weapons and contingent in Finnish territory.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Defense of Anti Hakkanen said that Finland has been supporting close defense cooperation with the United States since the beginning of the 1990s, and DCA would be impossible without this long-term cooperation in the field of defense. The signing of the DCA agreement is not the end point, but a new step towards even closer cooperation between Finland and the USA in the field of defense, he said.
According to the Finnish minister, this agreement demonstrates the adherence of the US security of Finland and creates the conditions for cooperation in a crisis situation.
“In the future, Finland will defend itself not alone, but as a member of NATO and with the United States,” the Minister of Defense emphasized.