Prime Minister Sipilä paid a visit to UNIFIL peacekeeping operation in South Lebanon

On Monday 17 August, Prime Minister Juha Sipilä paid a visit to the UNIFIL peacekeeping operation in South Lebanon together with the Prime Minister of Estonia, Taavi Rõivas. The Estonians joined the Finnish-Irish battalion as part of the Finnish crisis management force in May 2015. Finland holds the battalion's lead nation role. The prime ministers met the peacekeeping operation's command and Finnish and Estonian peacekeepers.

"As regards participation in peacekeeping operations, Finland has both long traditions and strong expertise – for example, in Lebanon we have been involved in UNIFIL for four decades. Given the current situation in the Middle East, this operation plays an essential role in maintaining regional stability,” says Prime Minister Sipilä.

“I am happy that, through UNIFIL, we have an opportunity to strengthen our cooperation with Estonia and Ireland. It has also been great to learn about peacekeepers’ practical work, together with Prime Minister Rõivas.”

During the visit, Prime Minister Sipilä also inaugurated a Finnish sauna for the battalion.

Finland is currently Europe's sixth largest country in its participation in UN peacekeeping. Out of Finland's involvement, UNIFIL is the biggest.

On Tuesday 18 August, Prime Ministers Sipilä and Rõivas will have meetings with Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri. The discussions will focus on bilateral relations, the Syrian conflict and the wider regional situation in the Middle East. 

Prime Minister Sipilä will return to Finland on Tuesday evening, 18 August.

Inquiries: Anna-Kaisa Heikkinen, Special Adviser (International Affairs), Prime Minister's Office, tel. +358 40 748 3867, Arto Räty, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, tel. +358 9 1608 8101 and Päivi Paasikoski, Head of Communications, Prime Minister’s Office, tel. +358 40 547 6279