Finland and Sweden have no plans to work closer in defence
Finland and Sweden have no immediate plans to work closer together on defence, but discussions are continuing. At a meeting on Wednesday, the foreign and defence ministers of the two countries expressed satisfaction with the current level of cooperation.
Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja (SDP), and Defence Minister Seppo Kääriäinen (Centre) met with their Swedish counterparts Carl Bildt and Mikael Odenberg at Königstedt Manor in Vantaa. All four were in visibly good spirits after the meeting. Tuomioja said that the four might hold another such meeting later this year. "We did not take any new unique steps, but it is important that the discussion should continue", Kääriäinen pointed out. "Sweden has closer security cooperation with Finland than with any other state", Bildt said.
"We stand closer to each other than ever before in history", Tuomioja added. There were no calls for a common defence policy, however; a poll released by the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE on Wednesday revealed that both Finns and Swedes want to keep their respective defence policies separate.
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