Prime Minister Sipilä and the EU’s High Representative Federica Mogherini met in Helsinki

Prime Minister Juha Sipilä held discussions with the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini on Sunday, 2 October. High Representative Mogherini visited Finland on the invitation of Prime Minister Sipilä to attend the opening of the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (hybridcoe.fi).

Prime Minister Sipilä and High Representative Mogherini held bilateral talks where they discussed the new centre, other cooperation between the EU and NATO, ways forward for the EU’s common security and defence cooperation, and other topical issues.

High Representative Mogherini thanked Finland for its active involvement in the EU’s defence cooperation and in the further development of this cooperation. Establishing the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats within a very tight timeframe shows that Finland is proactive and swift in its efforts to promote EU’s defence cooperation.

Prime Minister Sipilä in his turn thanked the High Representative for the EU’s valuable contribution to the founding of the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats.

“The joint visit of High Representative Mogherini and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg shows how highly both the EU and NATO value the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats as a means to further the cooperation between the EU and NATO,” Sipilä said.

Prime Minister Sipilä observed that the EU’s is making rapid progress in developing its defence cooperation.

“We have now a concrete roadmap and timetable. Our goal is to launch the permanent structured cooperation by the start of next year. Finland will continue to actively promote the development of the EU’s common security and defence cooperation,” Sipilä said.

Inquiries: Jani Raappana, Special Adviser (international affairs), tel. +358 295 160 306 and Anne Sjöholm, Head of Communications for EU Affairs, tel. +358 40 537 0733, Prime Minister’s Office

Photos available for the media