• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Nordic countries and Canada to deepen security and defence cooperation

Finnish Government

26.6.2023
Press release

The main theme of the Nordic prime ministers' summer meeting in Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland on 25 and 26 June was how to respond to various security threats. Along with the Nordic prime ministers, the Icelandic Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers invited Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to the meeting.

The summer meeting gave the prime ministers a good opportunity to discuss the current situation in Russia. The events in Russia dominated the prime ministers' planned discussion on how the security situation has changed as a result of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo was the first to speak about the diverse nature of security threats and how to respond to them. He spoke about Finland's comprehensive security model, which is also emphasised in the new Government Programme.

"Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine has changed the security situation in Europe and highlighted the need to prepare for a wide range of threats so that we can ensure the security and wellbeing of our citizens. We must look after security of supply, critical infrastructure and psychological resilience, for example. Comprehensive security is the common responsibility of all actors in society," Prime Minister Orpo said.

In their declaration at the end of the meeting, the prime ministers committed to strengthening security and defence cooperation in their respective regions. They emphasised the importance of complying with the rules of international cooperation and stressed the need for cooperation in the face of global challenges, such as climate threats. The Prime Ministers reaffirmed their support for Ukraine for as long as necessary and urged Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine immediately.

In connection with the meeting, Prime Minister Orpo also met for bilateral talks with the prime ministers of the other Nordic countries and Canada. This was Orpo's first visit abroad as Prime Minister.