The National Emergency Supply Agency and the Finnish Defence Forces increase joint planning

The National Emergency Supply Agency (NESA) and the Finnish Defence Forces have signed a new cooperation agreement. The agreement was signed by Mikko Heiskanen, Deputy Chief of Staff, Armaments and Logistics, for the Defence Forces and Janne Känkänen, CEO of the NESA, in Tampere on 30 November 2023. The agreement will replace the previous cooperation agreement from 2017.

“Strengthening the cooperation between the preparedness of civil society and military defence is particularly timely due to the shifts in the security environment and the new opportunities opened up by Finland’s NATO membership. As such, I am extremely pleased that we have been able to renew the cooperation agreement between the Finnish Defence Forces and the NESA. This provides us with excellent opportunities to respond to the shared challenges of comprehensive security,” says CEO of the NESA Känkänen.

The cooperation referred to in the agreement means that the NESA and the Defence Forces will plan, monitor and develop operations between the organisations both under normal conditions and during severe disruptions. Operational steering, development and monitoring are conducted through cooperation groups.

The most important updates of the agreement are related to increasing joint planning and developing it in the long term. The updated agreement will remain in effect for five years until 2028, and it will be reviewed on an annual basis and updated as necessary. Furthermore, the joint management team of the organisations will determine the concrete focuses of the operations each year.