Finland will open 15 military areas to American troops, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said.
The head of the defense department and Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen commented at a press conference on the defense cooperation agreement (DCA) between Finland and the United States approved by the government on Thursday, which is scheduled to be signed in the United States next Monday, Interfax reports.
“The defense cooperation agreement will not be officially approved until it is reviewed by parliament,” Häkkänen emphasized.
As the ministers noted, the agreement will facilitate defense cooperation and exercises between Finland and the United States. For example, there will no longer be a need to negotiate all transfers of troops or equipment at a high level, as has been the case until now.
The DCA also includes agreed upon areas where U.S. soldiers can operate and where the United States can store or transport weapons and other military equipment. Häkkänen declined to list them in more detail. These military areas will also have facilities available only to the United States.
The agreement does not specify how many American soldiers and civilians will arrive in Finland. This will become clear later, when a decision on practical cooperation is made.
Source: Rosbalt
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