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Defence Committee head sceptical

Many of the proposed recommendations regarding Nordic cooperation in the field of foreign and security policy presented earlier this week pose difficulties for Finland, says head of the Finnish Parliament’s Defence Committee, Juha Korkeaoja.

Location

Korkeaoja says he is sceptical that the Nordics will manage to pull together the resources required for a pan Nordic force, reports YLE News

Korkeaoja points out that Finland is already a member of the EU’s military rapid reaction forces, which are deployed at short notice to conflicts around the world. Korkeaoja is particularly concerned about the notion to monitor Icelandic airspace:

- Given Iceland’s far geographical distance, taking on such airspace responsibility is not a simple act. Iceland is moreover a NATO country,” says Korkeaoja to YLE News.

Korkeaoja underscores that the report is a collection of ideas – not a basis for decision-making.

The report was presented to the Foreign Ministers of the Nordic countries in Oslo on Monday this week, as previously reported by BarentsObserver.com.