Official press releases, news and speeches that the minister has held are located in this section. The Ministry of Defence publishes all of its press releases and news in Finnish and Swedish and many of them in English, too.
Press Releases
Minister of Defence Häkkänen signs letter of intent on naval mine cooperation
On Tuesday 9 July 2024, Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen signed a letter of intent on naval mine cooperation (Naval Mines Baltic Sea) in Washington DC.
- Finland plays an important role in this context because it has retained the expertise and know-how related to naval mines both in the Defence Forces and in industry. Naval mine expertise in Finland is among the best in the world, says Minister Häkkänen.
Naval mine cooperation aims to strengthen the collective defence of the Baltic Sea region and explore practical cooperation opportunities in the procurement, logistics and operation of naval weapon systems.
- Recent events suggest that it is essential to be able to protect critical underwater infrastructure and, ultimately, the territorial integrity of each state, says Minister Häkkänen.
Prepared under German leadership, the agreement was signed by Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. The letter of intent is not legally binding.
Inquiries: Commercial Counsellor Pasi Pajunen, Ministry of Defence, tel. +358 295 140 410