United Kingdom - Finland statement
Published 11 May 2022
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HELSINKI, 11 MAY 2022
The Republic of Finland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland reiterate our shared desire for ever deeper defence and security cooperation that is fit for any circumstances.
We are committed to defending the principles of the European security order. In light of the deterioration of the security situation in Europe, we wish to further intensify our security and defence cooperation and strengthen our mutual solidarity. We will build on our current, established cooperation and work together to further develop our capabilities.
We condemn the ongoing Russian invasion in Ukraine and call on the Russian Federation to immediately cease hostilities, withdraw its troops from Ukraine and seriously engage in peace negotiations. We have been increasing support for Ukraine, including deliveries of lethal material, and are committed to helping the Ukrainians in rebuilding their country when Russia´s military offensive ends.
Finland welcomes the United Kingdom´s strong commitment to the security of the Baltic Sea region, including British troops in Estonia as a part of NATO´s presence and the United Kingdom led Joint Expeditionary Force, of which Finland is a committed member.
The United Kingdom is unwavering in its commitment to NATO´s ‘open door’ policy. The United Kingdom welcomes Finland’s role in providing security in the Baltic Sea region, in Northern Europe and beyond. The United Kingdom firmly believes that, should Finland decide to apply for NATO membership, it would contribute to the security of the whole North Atlantic area. Finland and the United Kingdom share common security interests and the United Kingdom stands ready to assist Finland in its endeavours by all means necessary.
We confirmed that, should either country suffer a disaster or an attack, the United Kingdom and Finland will, upon request from the affected country, assist each other in a variety of ways, which may include military means. This cooperation will remain fully in line with each country’s security and defence policy and is designed to complement not replace existing European and Euro-Atlantic cooperation.
The United Kingdom and Finland will intensify and deepen their cooperation, including in countering hybrid threats and influence activities. Information sharing, including intelligence cooperation, has an important role to play in countering hybrid threats and protecting critical infrastructure. Both countries will work together on shared situation awareness, enhancing data protection and countering cyber threats.
We will maintain regular bilateral consultations on foreign and security policy issues, which serve an important role in deepening the partnership between the United Kingdom and Finland.
The long-standing and strong British-Finnish defence relationship contributes to stability and security in Northern Europe. Bilateral defence cooperation between the United Kingdom and Finland builds on the Framework Arrangement, signed in 2016. We will update this in order to further deepen and strengthen our cooperation and take into account changes in the security environment.
This document is a political declaration and not a legally binding commitment under international law.