The NATO Military Committee visited Finland

The NATO Military Committee meeting was held for the first time in Finland from May 27–29, 2024. The meeting was hosted by the Chief of Defence Command Finland, Lieutenant General Vesa Virtanen. In attendance for the visit were Admiral Rob Bauer, the Chair of the Military Committee of NATO, military representatives from member countries with their assistants, and international military staff. The Chief of Defence, General Janne Jaakkola, who recently attended the Military Committee meeting in Brussels, also participated in the visit on Wednesday, May 29.

The meeting covered topics such as Finland’s geostrategic position, defence strategy, the model of comprehensive security and defence, and Finland’s role as a member of the Alliance. The international guests had the opportunity to observe the operations of the Finnish Defence Forces in practice during their visit to the Northern Forest 24 exercise in Rovajärvi. During the visit, they also familiarized themselves with Finnish defence industry companies and technology.

According to Lieutenant General Virtanen, the first visit of the Military Committee to Finland was successful.

– The visit of NATO's Military Committee to Finland provided an excellent platform for dialogue, cooperation, and deepening mutual understanding among NATO member countries. It is important to share an understanding of Finland's defence system and the model of comprehensive security with our allies. The allies left with a convinced impression of our defence capabilities. At the same time, we had the opportunity to discuss the expectations of other member countries regarding Finland's role in NATO. Finland is committed to NATO's 360-degree approach to the Alliance's defence, as evidenced by our soon-to-be-concluded operation in NATO's mine countermeasures group and our air surveillance mission in Romania starting in early June, summarized Lieutenant General Virtanen.

The Chair of the NATO Military Committee Admiral Bauer highlighted how Finland’s comprehensive defence strategy embodies the Finnish "sisu", demonstrating an extraordinary resilience and determination in the face of adversity. Admiral Bauer emphasised the security of Finland’s position within NATO, and the mutual promise of security shared between all 32 Allies: 

– Finland has 31 Allies, 31 friends, who will protect them no matter what; and 31 Allies can also count on Finland for their protection if they need help.

_Background:

_{The Military Committee is responsible for NATO’s highest military decision making and prepares military advice for the decisions of the North Atlantic Council and Nuclear Planning Group, and provides advice to NATO’s two Strategic Commanders. After the North Atlantic Council, the Military Committee is among the Alliance’s most important working bodies. The Military Committee meets regularly with national Military Representatives, and three times a year with Chiefs of Defence. The Chairman of the NATO Military Committee is the Alliance’s highest military official.}