Finnish Parliament Speaker: Finland, Sweden and Norway Should Consider Joint Air Defense Control

Finland, Sweden and Norway should consider organising their air defence control jointly in territories north of the Arctic Circle in coming years, the speaker of the Finnish parliament Matti Vanhanen, said on Monday, Reuters reports.

If Finland and neighbouring Sweden's applications for membership in the Western military alliance NATO are successful, the Nordics could for the first time consider organising parts of their defence jointly with their common neighbour Norway which is already a NATO member.

"We all three - Sweden, Norway and Finland - have relatively strong airforces and we have to control our borders and airspace," said Matti Vanhanen, discussing NATO and security policy with Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre at an event organised by Finland's President Sauli Niinisto at his summer residence in Naantali, Finland.

"It would be most natural that in the coming years the controlling of the airspace would be common," said Vanhanen, a former Finnish prime minister.

The theme for this years talks at the Presidential residence was foreign and security policy.

In his speach at the event, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg praised Finlands resilience and security cooperation in the North and said that Finland’s membership would make NATO stronger.

"You are a strong democracy, with a resilient society, and with advanced military. Earlier this year, I saw your forces in action above the Arctic Circle, during our exercise Cold Response in Norway. Your soldiers impressed me with their professionalism and determination", Stoltenberg said adressing finnish President Sauli Niinistö.