President Halonen: EU and NATO complement each other in crisis management

President of the Republic Tarja Halonen attended the NATO Summit in Bucharest, Romania on 2-3 April 2008. Speaking at the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) working lunch, President Halonen emphasized the importance of cooperation in addressing security challenges. New threats such as climate change require joint efforts. "In crisis management the European Union and NATO are complementary - not competing - actors," President Halonen said. "When they operate in the same area, they need to work closely together in order to achieve lasting results." According to President Halonen, conflict prevention and crisis management lie at the core of the Finnish OSCE Chairmanship. Finland has participated in peacekeeping activities for decades and will continue to do so in future, and the EAPC supports the further development of Finland's capabilities.

President Halonen and US President George at the EAPC working lunch in Bucharest. Photo: Lehtikuva

President Halonen also emphasized women's involvement in crisis management and post-conflict reconstruction, which makes operations more effective and leads to more lasting results. She said that NATO has rightly taken an active role in this regard.

During the summit President Halonen held bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Helen Clark of New Zealand, among others. At the working lunch she also had an opportunity to talk with US President George Bush. On Thursday afternoon President Halonen attended the Meeting on Afghanistan, which included nations contributing troops to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) as well as representatives of Afghanistan, the UN and the EU.

Speech by President Halonen at the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) working lunch

Speech by President Halonen at the Meeting on Afghanistan