President and Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed Finland’s Presidency at the Council of Europe, France’s European Intervention Initiative and Nuclear Weapons Issues

On Friday 24 August, the President of the Republic and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed Finland’s forthcoming Presidency at the Council of Europe and the organisation’s topical questions.

Finland will chair the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe from 21 November 2018 to 17 May 2019. The main goal of the Presidency is to strengthen the organisation’s work in securing Europe’s human rights and rule of law system. One of the meetings to be held in Helsinki during Finland’s Presidency is the Foreign Ministers' meeting in May 2019.

The President of the Republic and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy also discussed France’s European Intervention Initiative and decided that Finland expresses interest in taking part in the initiative. The initiative aims to develop European defence cooperation and capabilities. The President of the Republic and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy also discussed defence cooperation between France and Finland.

Additionally, the President of the Republic and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy were given an overview of nuclear arms and an outlook into nuclear arms control.

Inquiries: Jukka Salovaara, Director General, tel. +358 295 350 636, Ministry for Foreign Affairs; Janne Kuusela, Director General (European Intervention Initiative), tel. +358 295 140 300, Ministry of Defence