Chief of Defence Command Finland visited Italy on 15-17 July 2026

Chief of Defence Command Finland, Lieutenant General Vesa Virtanen visited Italy last week. Topics of discussion included defence cooperation between Finland and Italy, crisis management operations and NATO cooperation.

The visit began on 15 July in Rome with a meeting between Lieutenant General Virtanen and the Operation Commander of the EU crisis management operation IRINI, Rear Admiral Marco Casapieri. Lieutenant General Virtanen was briefed on the operational situation and current priorities of the operation. The discussions focused on developing the maritime situational awareness, protecting critical underwater infrastructure, and monitoring illicit activities and the shadow fleet.

The Finnish contingent in operation IRINI in particular was highly praised. The Finnish expertise, solid maritime skills and ability to operate in demanding multinational tasks were brought up as key strengths of the Finnish troops.

On the second day, Lieutenant General Virtanen met Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Luigi Del Bene. They discussed possible future developments in the defence cooperation between Finland and Italy, with a focus on the improvement of interoperability at all levels. Exercise cooperation, Italy’s participation in Finland’s FLF force, strengthening the defence within NATO and the EU as well as building an even stronger alliance were on the discussion agenda.

_{Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Luigi Del Bene, and Chief of Defence Command Finland, Lieutenant General Vesa Virtanen.}

On the final day of the visit, Lieutenant General Virtanen had a meeting with Commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples and of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, Admiral George Wikoff. Lieutenant General Virtanen and Admiral Wikoff discussed cooperation between Finland and the USA, NATO cooperation, and Finland’s participation in crisis management operations, among other things.

_{Commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples and of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, Admiral George Wikoff, and Chief of Defence Command Finland, Lieutenant General Vesa Virtanen, discussed cooperation between Finland and the USA, the development of NATO cooperation, and the importance of the maritime operating environment. Photo: JFC Naples.}

Lieutenant General Virtanen sees the visit as a part of a large-scale cooperation framework in which NATO’s collective defence, strengthening the defence of Europe and bilateral cooperation come together. The cooperation between Finland and Italy is being built up at all three levels.

– NATO’s 360-degree approach covers all directions. We cannot retreat to our own corner but rather, we are having dialogue with our partners in the Alliance to improve common understanding and interoperability. Finland and Italy are committed to strengthening the defence of Europe, and our cooperation on the practical level has deepened our bilateral relations.

Operation at sea was one of the main topics of discussion in the meetings.

– My colleague Admiral Wikoff and I also discussed the maritime dimension and the Mediterranean. The Mediterranean is an important Southern logistics environment for NATO, Europe and Finland. Finland is contributing to the crisis management that aims to safeguard maritime traffic and to support stability in the area, lieutenant General Virtanen says.

The visit consolidated the common understanding of the current security situation and underlined the importance of close cooperation at different levels.

The visit ended on 17 July.

_{Allied Joint Force Command Naples is one of three joint force commands in the NATO command structure (Naples, Norfork and Brunssum). In the NATO command structure, Finland is in Joint Force Command Norfolk's area of responsibility, but is cooperating closely also with other joint force commands.}

_{The primary task of the crisis management operation IRINI is to implement the UN arms embargo. The operation is carried out in the Mediterranean. Finland has contributed to the operation since 2020.}