Minister Rantanen and Lithuanian Minister of the Interior Vladislav Kondratovič meet in Finland
Finland’s Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen and Lithuania’s Minister of the Interior Vladislav Kondratovič met in Helsinki on 9 March 2026. The ministers discussed, among other things, the Finnish police system, cooperation related to preparedness, and the countries' common security challenges.
“Both Finland and Lithuania are countries situated on the EU’s external land border, where the threat of instrumentalised migration, for example, is constantly present. We are not just protecting our own borders, we also have a particular responsibility for the security of Europe as a whole,“ says Minister Rantanen.
The ministers also discussed civil defence. Finland and Lithuania are both involved in the recently launched cooperation related to the protection of the civilian population in the Baltic Sea countries.
Minister Rantanen gave the Lithuanian minister an overview of the Finnish civil defence system. Finland has around 50,500 civil defence shelters with space for about 4.8 million people.
“Civil defence shelters are an important and long-term investment in Finland’s comprehensive security. In Finland, civil defence shelters have been built systematically after the Second World War, and they are being used for other purposes in normal conditions,” Minister Rantanen says.
In the concept for comprehensive security, the vital functions of society are safeguarded in collaboration between the authorities, business community, organisations and citizens in all circumstances and at all levels of society.
Minister Kondratovič also wanted to hear about the Finnish police system, its resources and efficiency. The efficiency of the Finnish police is based on strong education and training, high public trust in the police, and an operationally efficient system. For example, the police effectively combat street gang crime, and the related criminal legislation has also been tightened.
During the day, the ministers also visited the Merihaka civil defence shelter and the Helsinki Police Department.
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