Helsinki, 30 September 2022 (TDI): Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland announced on September 29, 2022, that Finland and the United States will open negotiations on a Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) in the autumn of this year.
The United States and Finland will open negotiations on a Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) this autumn ⤵️https://t.co/WRQ7QDEyEY
— MFA Finland 🇫🇮 (@Ulkoministerio) September 29, 2022
The agreement will give Finland and the US a structure and legal foundation for ongoing defense cooperation. If there will be challenges to the security situation then it would also foster closer collaboration.
Finland views the United States as a significant and close ally and partner. Finland’s capacity to defend itself is enhanced by its defense cooperation with the US. The most significant foreign actor in Northern Europe is the United States.
Defense Cooperation Agreement
The DCA is a result of past US and Finnish collaborations. Earlier, Sauli Niinistö, the President of Finland, and Joe Biden, the President of the United States, reached an understanding on strengthening defense cooperation in March 2022.
Previously, in 2016, the US Department of Defense and the Finnish Ministry of Defense also jointly signed a Statement of Intent.
Moreover, the DCA would be presented to the Finnish Parliament for examination and ratification in line with chapter 8 of the Constitution because it is a legally enforceable international agreement. It is anticipated that the talks would last one to two years.
The Defense Cooperation Agreement also addresses practical issues including taxes, customs charges, and the acceptance of credentials while defining the status of US personnel when they are deployed on Finnish territory.
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US and Finland defense cooperation
In the field of defense and security cooperation, the United States has a variety of agreements and arrangements with NATO nations. The United States’ decision to open conversations with Finland demonstrates its commitment to European and Finnish security.
Both countries consider that value of bilateral collaboration with the United States will not be lessened by Finland’s membership in NATO. Instead, it will generate new chances for collaboration. Finland’s readiness for NATO membership will improve thanks to the DCA.
