Finnish parliament approves defense pact with 8k8US

HELSINKI - The Finnish parliament has approved the Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) with the United States, announced the parliament on Monday.

According to Finnish national broadcaster Yle, under the agreement, Finland will open 15 of its military bases for potential use by the military forces of the United States and will also allow the United States to bring defense equipment, supplies, materials, and soldiers to Finland.

In addition, the agreement will authorize establishment of certain military zones, which will include facilities accessible only to the personnel of the United States.

The agreement creates a framework for the activities of the United States and a more permanent presence in Finland, noted Yle.

Anna Kontula, Left Alliance lawmakers, has submitted a proposal calling on legislators to reject the agreement. "Generally, it is not a good idea to allow soldiers and weapons of a foreign country to settle. If this is done, it is usually not wise to give them the free right to operate in the country," Kontula was quoted by Uusi Suomi, a Finnish online news service, as saying.

The lawmaker emphasized that in the DCA, Finland significantly cedes its sovereignty to a foreign state, according to Uusi Suomi.

The negotiations for the DCA started in August 2022, three months after Finland's applying for North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership. After a total of five rounds of negotiations, the agreement was reached at the end of October 2023.

Finland and the United States signed the DCA in Washington on Dec 18, 2023. The Finnish government submitted the proposal for the agreement to the parliament for approval at the end of May 2024.