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Haglund: NORDEFCO welcomes parliamentary co-operation

There is no reason to create a Nordic Council of Ministers for Defence Policy. On the other hand the Nordic defence ministers welcome greater parliamentary transparency, said Carl Haglund, Minister of Defence in Finland, which holds the Presidency in NORDEFCO this year.

Apr 11, 2013
Photographer
Magnus Fröderberg/Norden.org

"NORDEFCO is known for its flexible, non-bureaucrat structures. We will continue to prioritise pragmatism over bureaucracy in Nordic defence co-operation", said Haglund at the Nordic Council's theme session in Stockholm on Thursday.

"The ministers of defence have nothing to hide, and are happy to continue to report to the parliamentary assemblies in the future. Therefore, we welcome the defence policy roundtable conference which the Nordic Council is going to organise this autumn", says Haglund.

According to Haglund, NORDEFCO is working at the moment on a vision for the Nordic defence co-operation which is due in December.

"Nordic co-operation is described with many fine words, but in defence co-operation there is a lot of activity too. Our air forces collaborate on joint exercises almost every week.

Defence co-operation in the Nordic Region is resource driven, but Haglund has not yet considered where savings can be made.

"In the current situation co-operation means that we get more for our money than we would on our own. Tangible savings can be only calculated only when we have high volume in joint acquisitions.

Contacts

Heidi Orava
Phone +45 21 71 71 48
Email heor@norden.org