Denmark and Finland step up cooperation in preparedness matters

Denmark's new Minister for Resilience and Preparedness Torsten Schack Pedersen and Finland's Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen met in Helsinki on 4 March. The ministers discussed current issues related to preparedness and signed a letter of intent on civil preparedness and resilience.

"We must be ready and prepared to prevent and respond to crises, conflicts and even the most serious scenarios, such as war. Our bilateral cooperation with Denmark will support other cooperation with the Nordic countries, the EU and NATO," said Rantanen.

The letter of intent covers the protection of the civilian population, societal resilience, protection of critical infrastructure, hybrid issues, rescue services, individual and household preparedness, and support for Ukraine.

The topics on the ministers' agenda included hybrid threats and how to counter them, and the cable damage in the Baltic Sea. 

"In recent years, we have seen several incidents on the Baltic Sea where critical undersea infrastructure has been damaged. Public authorities in the coastal states play a key role in dealing with the shadow fleet, managing the related risks, and protecting critical infrastructure. In this area, we're working closely with the Danish authorities and others," Rantanen said.

The ministers also discussed Denmark's upcoming Presidency of the Council of the EU, which will start in July 2025. Finland will support Denmark in managing the above-mentioned issues during its Presidency.

Preparedness is a new policy area in the EU. Future EU strategies will form an important basis for strengthening the Union's joint preparedness and resilience against crises. In spring 2025, the European Commission will publish the EU's Preparedness Union Strategy, the Internal Security Strategy, and the White Paper on the Future of European Defence.

In autumn 2024, Denmark established a new Ministry of Resilience and Preparedness, which brings together activities from eight ministries. 

Inquiries:
Laura Yli-Vakkuri, Director General, tel. +358 40 720 2216, firstname.lastname@gov.fi
Communications Unit, Ministry of the Interior, media.sm@gov.fi (requests for interviews with Minister Rantanen)