The Hindu : News / National : Finland Defence Minister to visit India today
With India engaging in extended defence cooperation both in the region and outside, New Delhi will witness the visits from Ministers of Finland and Japan this week.
The Defence Minister of Finland, Jyri Hakamies, begins his five-day visit on Monday to discuss bilateral defence material cooperation and those concerning defence industry.
He is accompanied by a business delegation that will make several corporate visits, the Finland Embassy said here.
Besides meeting Defence Minister A.K. Antony, he is scheduled to visit the Western Air Command, take part in an industrial seminar, visit the Defence Research Development Organisation and give a speech on Global Security Challenges: a Finnish Perspective' at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses.
Finland's security policy follows the principle of military non-alignment, meaning that the country has chosen not to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) but cooperate actively with the NATO in crisis management and material issues, the embassy said.
Finland has been active in U.N. peacekeeping operations. Currently it is engaged in peacekeeping operations in Sudan, Chad, Liberia, West Asia, Kosovo. It is also active in the European Union or NATO-led operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Somalia and Afghanistan.
The country's 2009 security white paper reconfirms all fundamentals of its security policy such as membership in the EU, military non-alignment, active cooperation with international organisations and credible national defence.
Later in the week, Japanese Defence Minister Toshimi Kitazawa is scheduled to arrive here on a bilateral visit. Mr. Antony had paid a visit to Tokyo in November last year and discussed issues relating to anti-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden and maritime security.
India-Japan bilateral security and defence co-operation is guided by the Joint Statement issued by the Defence Ministers in May 2006 and the Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation issued during the visit of Manmohan Singh to Japan in October 2008.
With India engaging in extended defence cooperation both in the region and outside, New Delhi will witness the visits from Ministers of Finland and Japan this week.
The Defence Minister of Finland, Jyri Hakamies, begins his five-day visit on Monday to discuss bilateral defence material cooperation and those concerning defence industry.
He is accompanied by a business delegation that will make several corporate visits, the Finland Embassy said here.
Besides meeting Defence Minister A.K. Antony, he is scheduled to visit the Western Air Command, take part in an industrial seminar, visit the Defence Research Development Organisation and give a speech on Global Security Challenges: a Finnish Perspective' at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses.
Finland's security policy follows the principle of military non-alignment, meaning that the country has chosen not to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) but cooperate actively with the NATO in crisis management and material issues, the embassy said.
Finland has been active in U.N. peacekeeping operations. Currently it is engaged in peacekeeping operations in Sudan, Chad, Liberia, West Asia, Kosovo. It is also active in the European Union or NATO-led operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Somalia and Afghanistan.
The country's 2009 security white paper reconfirms all fundamentals of its security policy such as membership in the EU, military non-alignment, active cooperation with international organisations and credible national defence.
Later in the week, Japanese Defence Minister Toshimi Kitazawa is scheduled to arrive here on a bilateral visit. Mr. Antony had paid a visit to Tokyo in November last year and discussed issues relating to anti-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden and maritime security.
India-Japan bilateral security and defence co-operation is guided by the Joint Statement issued by the Defence Ministers in May 2006 and the Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation issued during the visit of Manmohan Singh to Japan in October 2008.
