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Minister of Defence Kaikkonen to Berlin, Brussels and Klaipeda
Minister of Defence Antti Kaikkonen will participate in five international defence cooperation related meetings to be held in Berlin, Brussels and Klaipeda on 25 to 28 June 2019.
Minister of Defence Antti Kaikkonen will participate in five international defence cooperation related meetings to be held in Berlin, Brussels and Klaipeda on 25 to 28 June 2019.
On Tuesday 25 June, Minister Kaikkonen will take part in a meeting of the Northern Group defence ministers in Berlin. They will discuss strategic communication, maritime security and military mobility. Apart from the Nordic countries and the Baltic States, the Northern Group consists of the Netherlands, Great Britain, Poland and Germany. In addition, Vice Admiral Andrew L. Lewis, Commander of the NATO Joint Forces Command, has been invited to be a keynote speaker at the meeting.
The meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence will be organised on 26 to 27 June at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels. In addition to a working session on the Resolute Support crisis management operation, Minister Kaikkonen will participate in a working dinner where ministers will discuss new innovation and disruptive technologies. Apart from NATO countries, representatives of Finland, Sweden and the EU have been invited to the working dinner. Kaikkonen will also represent Finland at the global coalition's Defeat-ISIS meeting and at the meeting of the Framework Nation Concept (FNC) led by Germany. The goal of the framework nations is to develop multinational European capabilities and build formations for the needs of, for example, crisis management.
On 28 June, the last day of meetings, Minister Kaikkonen will take part in the joint meeting of defence ministers and Chiefs of Command representing partner countries of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF). The meeting will take place onboard HMS Albion in the Klaipeda port in Lithuania. The first large-scale JEF exercise, BALTIC PROTECTOR, is currently taking place in the Baltic Sea. The JEF cooperation aims at developing military capabilities and the ability to prevent and, when necessary, together respond to different crises.
Inquiries: the Northern Group meeting, Special Adviser Johanna Hämäläinen, Ministry of Defence, tel. +358 295 140 086; NATO defence minister meeting, Special Adviser Outi Nieminen, tel. +358 295 140 079; JEF and FNC meetings, Senior Staff Officer Jyri Saanio, tel. +358 295 140 003; and inquiries relating to communications, Special Adviser Kristian Vakkuri, tel. +358 295 140 123.