... for cooperation within NATO”, but it is important that “other NATO countries are committed and involved in the defence of Lapland and the entire Scandinavian region”. Here, the head of the Finnish government most likely means the two most active NATO players in Northern Europe—the United States and Britain. It is unlikely that he meant the Baltic States, although they are actively in favour of military cooperation with the Nordic states, but the situation has so far been otherwise. For example, 150 Norwegian ...
... were also highlighted.
A Russian expert opined that Moscow does not see a bigger independent role for the OSCE in crisis management and arms control, since it views the organisation as an instrument that has been privatised by the West. The Russia–NATO relationship was identified as a better-placed format to discuss arms control issues.
Perspectives on the Security of Northern Europe
In the session devoted to discussing Northern Europe and the Arctic, the Baltic sub-region was identified as the most dangerous environment. At the same time, the Arctic can no longer be considered as a region insulated from tensions. ...
..., the Finns Party, the Christian Democratic Party, the Green League and the Left Alliance.
Since an application to NATO requires a two thirds majority in parliament, such a majority seems unlikely. Opinion polls show that if a national referendum on NATO membership is to be held, the outcome would be unlikely to be in its favor.
Finland remains active in integration processes with other countries in Northern Europe to expand areas of common interests and strengthen foreign policy cooperation. In 1991, Finland and Russia vowed to refrain from allowing its territory to be used for military aggression against each other and from rendering military assistance ...
... zone of peace and stability. We are convinced that there are no problems that we cannot jointly solve through cooperation on the basis of existing international law and goodwill”.
It is in the fundamental interests of the countries and peoples of Northern Europe to maintain and consolidate the zone of peace and stability in the region. This is not to say that those countries do not include political forces that are ready to support the entry of Finland and Sweden into NATO and to help these states become deeply integrated into the military and political structures of the North Atlantic treaty, or, on the other hand, very influential political and social circles that are firmly against such a turn of events.
The previous ...
