Helsinki, 22 August 2022
The Ministry of Defence has completed a report on Finland’s participation in the crisis management operations in Afghanistan during 2002-2021. The report examines the stages of Finland’s participation and, from the perspective of the defence administration, carries out sector-specific impact assessments while taking into account the impacts on Finland’s defence policy and national defence. The report includes a separate section of the evacuation operation in late summer 2021.
“The time span of twenty years is a long time in Finnish military crisis management. I wanted to have the report prepared by Ministry officials so that the stages of the operation, the resources used, losses and benefits gained are assessed in the Ministry. Based on this report, I can say that the defence administration has done its utmost to ensure success of the operations with the resources available,” says Minister of Defence Antti Kaikkonen.
The Ministry of Defence’s report is part of the central government’s impact assessment of the participation in crisis management in Afghanistan. An overall assessment of the crisis management operation in Afghanistan, coordinated by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, will be submitted to Parliament in the course of 2022.
Source – Finnish Government