
Finland and Israel Extend Defense Cooperation Agreement for Ten Years
Finland and Israel have extended a memorandum of understanding for defense cooperation over the next decade, covering research and development, cooperation, and the procurement of defense equipment. The agreement, set to run until 2034, was approved by Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen in early 2024 and was not made public until a report by Finland's public broadcaster.
The MoU was first drawn up in 2013, and with its validity about to expire, Helsinki proposed to Israel in early 2024 that the protocol be extended. Finland proposed extending the agreement to ten years rather than the previous five, and Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amir Baram, director general of Israel's Defense Ministry, agreed. "On behalf of the IMoD, I hereby accept the extension of the MoU in the form suggested by the Finnish side, for 10 more years. We appreciate our fruitful cooperation and wish for mutual projects and activities," read a letter sent by the ministry.
Major Israeli companies already have subsidiaries in Finland, as well as significant cooperation with local Finnish firms. Finnish purchases from Israeli defense industries, which totaled just a few million dollars a few years ago, now reach hundreds of millions of dollars a year and are continuing to rise.
(JPost/VFI News)