Hyppää sisältöön

Northern Europe's Chiefs of Defence to convene in Finland

Defence Forces
Publication date 29.9.2021 14.13
Press release

A meeting of Northern Europe Chiefs of Defence (NE CHOD) will be organised in Helsinki from 29 to 30 September 2021. The meeting will be hosted by the Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces, General Timo Kivinen together with the Commander of the U.S. European Command (COM USEUCOM), General Tod D. Wolters.

In addition to the Commander of the U.S. European Command, the chiefs of defence of 12 Northern European countries have been invited to the meeting to discuss the security environment of Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea region and the challenges involved. 

These annual meetings are organised by each participating country in turn.  This year, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands have been invited to the meeting as new participating countries.  

– Meetings with colleagues from partner countries provide a good opportunity to discuss topics of common interest.  This will improve our situational awareness and also provide an opportunity to bring up considerations important from the Finnish perspective, says the Commander of the Defence Forces, General Timo Kivinen.  

– The strategic importance of the high north and Baltic regions cannot be understated, said U.S. Air Force Gen. Tod D. Wolters, Commander, U.S. European Command. 

– Our northern European Allies and Partners are highly capable and have diverse operational experience that contributes immensely to the security of the Euro-Atlantic, he continued.

Finland has participated in NE CHOD meetings since 2012. 

´