An historic Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) between Finland and the United States moved one step closer to becoming reality on Monday, following a meeting between President Sauli Niinistö and the government's foreign and security policy ministerial committee (TP-UTVA).
In a press statement, the Finnish government noted that a decision was made at the meeting to proceed with the agreement in its current form.
The DCA would grant US military personnel access to facilities and areas within Finland for training, weapons storage and equipment maintenance. This could include the potential use of airports, harbours and designated training zones.
"This marks a highly significant shift in Finland's security policy. Never before in peacetime has Finland hosted foreign troops for extended periods. Now, all barriers to practical cooperation between Finland and the United States are being removed," stated Iro Särkkä, a senior researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA), when negotiations reached an advanced stage earlier this year.
The final acceptance of the agreement requires a vote in parliament, although it remains unclear whether a simple majority will be sufficient or if a two-thirds majority would be needed.
A final decision on that aspect is expected from parliament's Constitutional Law Committee.
President Niinistö suggested earlier this month that the unusually large number of asylum seekers arriving at Finland's eastern border may be a response to Russia of reports that the DCA was nearing agreement.
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