2023
Minister of Defence Kaikkonen to attend NATO defence minister meeting
Minister of Defence Antti Kaikkonen will attend the NATO defence minister meeting at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on 15 and 16 June.
– This is a historic two-day meeting. For the first time, we will participate in NATO's defence minister meeting as a member of the Alliance, says Minister of Defence Kaikkonen.
On the first day, there will be a meeting between the ministers and representatives of the transatlantic defence industry. After this, the ministers will meet with the NATO-Ukraine Commission (NUC). In addition to NATO member countries and Sweden, Ukraine's Minister of Defence Oleksii Reznikov and High Representative of the European Union Josep Borrell have been invited to attend these sections of the meeting.
On the second day of the meeting, the ministers of the member countries will discuss ways to strengthen the collective deterrence and defence of the Alliance. They will also meet with the Nuclear Planning Group. Of the Allied countries, France does not participate in the Nuclear Planning Group's work.
– The meeting in Brussels is an important milestone in preparing for the forthcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius, says Minister of Defence Kaikkonen.
Inquiries: Samuli Puhakka, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 140 089, and Emma Virkkunen, Senior Specialist, Communications, tel. +358 295 140 176.