The United States hosted Finland for a dialogue on the Indo-Pacific October 11 in Washington, D.C. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Finnish State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Jukka Salovaara co-chaired the dialogue. The U.S. delegation included senior government officials from the Department of State, the National Security Council, and the Department of Defense.
The United States and Finland discussed joint priorities to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific, including upholding international law and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and enhancing maritime and security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. The Deputy and the State Secretary noted with serious concern both the PRC’s support to the Russian defense industrial base and the growing military ties between Russia and the DPRK. Both parties underscored the importance of further developing critical ties between NATO Allies and NATO’s Indo-Pacific partners to address pressing security challenges. They also committed to enhancing economic opportunities and resilience in the Indo-Pacific region including through technology partnerships.
Deputy Secretary Campbell and State Secretary Salovaara also discussed security, defense, and technology cooperation; Finland’s integration into NATO; and Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, stressing their continued steadfast support for Ukraine and its legitimate defense against Russia’s full-scale invasion. They underscored their commitment to diplomatic efforts in the Middle East and called for an immediate de-escalation.