The Swedish and Finnish governments have agreed to take part in a NATO-backed effort to patrol airspace surrounding Iceland. Iceland, which has no air force, asked its Scandinavian neighbours to provide assistance in the programme. The two governments approached the issue cautiously for diplomatic reasons. This was particularly true of Finland, which was wary of upsetting the country’s neutrality and its close ties with Russia.
However, Finnish Prime Minister Jyrki Katainenn told the media on Monday following negotiations in Helsinki, “Finland will inform Iceland’s government that we are willing to participate in Iceland’s air space surveillance in 2014, together with Sweden,” The Chicago Tribune reports.
Likewise, Swedish premier Fredrik Reinfeldt said that Swedes were “positive” about the scheme.
However, opposition remains strong in Finland. Recent polls show that 42 percent of Finns are against cooperating in the programme, whist ministers representing the Centre Party and those further left have spoken out against the decision.
Kimmo Tiilikainen said on behalf of the Centre Party, “Participating in the air surveillance of a NATO member country absolutely does not concern non-allied Finland.”
However, experts say that PM Kinnunen and the National Coalition are looking to increase ties with NATO to boost the country’s national security.
Thanks for pointing this out
If Nato didn’t exist, Iceland would have been seized long ago for its natural resources. You don’t need enemies, just have something another country wanted. What is stopping, say, Nigeria taking control of Iceland?
The fact is ‘neutral’ countries like Iceland and Ireland are hiding behind the USA military and feeling very smug about it.
Finnish Prime Minister mrs Terhi Kinnunen? The Finnish Prime Minister is mr Jyrki Katainen: http://vnk.fi/etusivu/en.jsp
against which enemies? why this simple question is not even asked when it comes to spend billions to deploy such means… unless the true reason is not for airspace security…