2018
Minister of Defence Niinistö to visit France
Minister of Defence Jussi Niinistö will attend a defence minister meeting of the E12 countries in Paris on 7 November 2018. The meeting will be hosted by French Minister for the Armed Forces Florence Parly.
Minister Niinistö will sign a Letter of Intent (LoI) on the European Intervention Initiative (EI2). The participating countries have reached a political agreement and the LoI is an expression of their commitment to the Initiative. The LoI also states that the countries will start the drafting of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the establishment of the Initiative.
The President of the Republic and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy have outlined that Finland will participate in the European Intervention Initiative.
Apart from Finland, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain take part in the E12.
Additionally, the defence ministers will address the political guidance of the initiative's practical work for 2018-2019.
Inquiries on the meeting and the Letter of Intent: Janne Kuusela, Director General, Ministry of Defence, tel. +358 295 140 300, and Special Adviser Samuli Puhakka, tel. +358 295 140 089.