Pasi Kostamovaara appointed as Chief of the Border Guard, Markku Hassinen as Deputy Chief

At its plenary session on 19 September 2019, the Government decided to propose that the President of the Republic appoint Major General Pasi Kostamovaara as Chief of the Border Guard as of 1 October 2019. The appointment is a fixed-term one until the end of 2024. At the same time, the Government proposed that Rear Admiral Markku Hassinen be appointed Deputy Chief of the Border Guard from 1 October 2019 to 31 December 2024.

The President of the Republic is expected to appoint Kostamovaara and Hassinen to their public posts on Friday 20 September.

Major General Kostamovaara has served in the Border Guard since 1986, for example as a Border Management Specialist at Finland’s Permanent Representation to the EU, Commander of the Southeast Finland Border Guard District, Chief of the Border and Coast Guard Division and Chief of the Personnel Division at the Border Guard Headquarters. He is currently the Deputy Chief of the Border Guard.

Rear Admiral Hassinen has been employed by the Border Guard since 1987. He has worked as a Border Management Specialist at Finland’s Permanent Representation to the EU, Commander of the Gulf of Finland Coast Guard District and Chief of the Personnel Division at the Border Guard Headquarters, among other things. He is currently the Chief of the Border and Coast Guard Division at the Border Guard Headquarters.

The post of the Chief of the Border Guard became vacant following the retirement on a disability pension of Lieutenant General Ilkka Laitinen, the earlier holder of the post. Military posts at the Border Guard may be filled without an application procedure.

The Border Guard maintains border security, maritime safety and crisis preparedness

The main tasks of the Border Guard consist of the surveillance of the country’s borders, checks on persons at border crossing points and the rescue of people and the prevention of environmental damage at sea. The Border Guard also participates in military defence. The objective of the Border Guard's activities is to maintain border security, maritime safety and crisis preparedness.

Inquiries:

Ari-Pekka Koivisto, Chief of Division, Border Guard Headquarters, tel. +358 295 412 161, [email protected]