, Finland is considering joining in NATO's air surveillance system. Finland, Sweden and Norway are at present looking at the establishment of joint air surveillance.
According to the Commander of Finnish Defence Forces, Admiral Juhani Kaskeala, if these three Nordic countries decide to team up in this field, Sweden and Finland would have to take part in the NATO air surveillance system, as Norway does not have a national system of its own.
Speaking at a defence seminar in Helsinki on Monday, Kaskeala speculated that it would be unlikely that NATO would throw up any barriers to Nordic cooperation. In central Europe, non-members Austria and Switzerland are included in the NATO air surveillance system.
According to Defence Minister Jyri Häkämies, the matter has been discussed with President Tarja Halonen and Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen. A policy decision is expected this spring.
Finnish Broadcasting
