Government proposal on Defence Cooperation Agreement with the United States

Goals and results

Implementation of the agreement

Starting points

The United States is one of Finland’s key allies, and concluding the Defence Cooperation Agreement is one of the objectives laid down in the Programme of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s Government. The DCA is a binding international agreement that sets forth an up-to-date framework for cooperation between Finland and the United States. The provisions of the DCA are mainly based on the NATO Status of Forces Agreement (NATO SOFA). The DCA allows the parties to deepen cooperation in all security situations. The DCA will reinforce Finland’s security and contribute to the fulfilment of Finland’s obligations as a member of NATO.

The DCA deals with practical aspects of issues such as the entry of troops, the storage of defence materiel, criminal jurisdiction and taxation. The DCA specifies the areas where the cooperation and collaboration between Finland and the United States would primarily focus. The agreed areas are listed in the Annex to the DCA. Going forward, the DCA will enable the United States to make use of Congress funding for possible infrastructure investments in Finland.