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DE RUEHHE #0817/01 3061135
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 021135Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3887
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0065
RUEHNJ/AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA 0017

C O N F I D E N T I A L HELSINKI 000817 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/30/2017 
TAGS: MARR PGOV PREL MOPS FI
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON FINLAND'S FALL SECURITY POLICY 
DISCUSSIONS 
 
REF: A. HELSINKI 715 
 
     ¶B. HELSINKI 753 
 
Classified By: PolChief Gregory Thome, Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The GoF's Cabinet Committee on Foreign and 
Security Policy (UTVA) met with President Halonen Oct. 26 to 
continue internal deliberations regarding Finland's next 
steps in relation to Afghanistan/ISAF, EU Battlegroups, and 
the pending EU operation in Chad.  Finland appears ready to 
send small numbers of trainers to Afghanistan to staff a 
"Nordic OMLT," as well as about 55 troops to Chad.  At 
present, no concrete decisions on expanding other support to 
Afghanistan have yet been reached.  Political movement on 
Afghanistan, in particular, remains somewhat difficult, as 
the main players within the governing coalition (as well as 
the President) are still not fully of one mind regarding 
exactly how much or how quickly Finland should ramp up its 
participation in peacekeeping and other security operations. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
UTVA Approves OMLT Participation and Troops for Chad 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
¶2. (C) The Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy 
(UTVA), which is responsibility for approving all major 
government foreign and security policy decisions, met with 
President Halonen Oct. 26.  According to MFA and MOD sources, 
the UTVA produced three recommendations: 
 
 -- The UTVA identified the necessary financial resources and 
gave its approval for sending 10 military trainers to 
participate in a Nordic OMLT in Afghanistan, beginning in 
early 2008.  Finland is eager to develop a "Nordic approach" 
to OMLTs by staffing them alongside Swedish and Norwegian 
trainers (Reftel B), and we view this as a good first step. 
 
 -- The UTVA identified resources and gave its approval to 
Finland's 221-troop contribution to the Nordic EU Battle 
Group, which will stand up January 1. 
 
 -- The UTVA identified resources and gave its approval for 
Finland to send 40 forward-deployable infantry peacekeepers, 
plus an additional 10-20 headquarters/logistics and support 
staff to Chad as part of the EU mission there.  Current EU 
planning calls for troops to begin arriving by the end of 
November, but Finland's contributions will probably not 
arrive until December or early January. 
 
¶3. (C) According to Finnish law, these UTVA recommendations 
must now be submitted to parliament for consensus, and then 
returned to President Halonen for her final approval.  While 
parliamentary and presidential approval for all three 
recommendations is likely, it could take up to six weeks. 
 
No Other Decisions on Afghanistan 
--------------------------------- 
¶4. (C) According to foreign ministry contacts, the UTVA did 
not reach consensus on any other issues pertaining to Finnish 
participation in NATO/ISAF operation, aside from the OMLT. 
The GoF is engaged in a vigorous, unresolved internal debate 
over a series of recommendations from the Ministries of 
Defense and Foreign Affairs regarding possible increases to 
Finland's military and development assistance contributions 
in Afghanistan.  The UTVA discussed recommendations for 
increasing Finland's troop contributions in 2008.  However, 
while the UTVA discussed possible Finnish troop increases and 
the question of leadership of the Finnish-Swedish PRT at 
Mazar-al-Sharif (reftels), it reached no conclusions. 
Conservative Party members of the UTVA (i.e., the Ministers 
of Defense, Foreign Affairs, and Finance) have for months 
been urging greater contributions, but their coalition 
partners (including the Prime Minister and the Foreign Trade 
and Development Minister) remain unconvinced about both the 
size of the recommended increases and the suggested timelines 
for implementation.  As one senior MFA official with direct 
access to the UTVA's deliberations told PolChief, "The UTVA 
has no vision on this.  The Foreign Minister has a vision, 
and others may.  But the UTVA as a whole, no."  He added 
that, in simplest terms, the Conservatives see it in 
Finland's national interest to do more in Afghanistan, while 
others feel the existing contributions are largely adequate. 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶5. (C) Even though the UTVA did not reach a decision this 
time on PRT leadership or on a troop increase, these 
questions remain under active consideration, and neither has 
been ruled out (as the local press mistakenly implied).  The 
final decision on both issues will be subject to a drawn out 
process that depends heavily both on the domestic political 
 
climate and on how bilateral negotiations with the Swedes 
proceed (Ref B).  However, the OMLT concept has caught fire 
here -- as evidenced by the UTVA's relatively quick Oct. 26 
decision -- and we hear clear hints from within the 
Ministries that this is an initiative of great potential. 
And as we have reported previously, the Embassy believes that 
Finland will ultimately find a way to make greater 
contributions in Afghanistan -- these painstaking internal 
political machinations notwithstanding.  END COMMENT. 
WARE