Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen met Estonia's new Minister of the Interior Igor Taro in Helsinki on Tuesday 13 May. Topics of their discussion included preparedness, hybrid threats and their prevention, and police cooperation between Estonia and Finland.
“Police cooperation between our countries is close and based on a long-term partnership. Cooperation has become increasingly important in the current security situation as cross-border crime has increased and hybrid threats have become more common,” said Minister Rantanen.
Russia has maintained the threat of instrumentalised migration at the eastern border. As a result, border crossing points on the eastern border have mainly been closed and border traffic has been suspended since 2023.
In recent years, we have seen several incidents on the Baltic Sea where critical undersea infrastructure has been damaged.
“We have to find common means to deal with the shadow fleet. Public authorities in the coastal states play a key role in managing these risks and protecting critical infrastructure. In this area, we're working closely with the Estonian authorities and others," said Rantanen.
International exercises are important in the current security situation
Other topics on the ministers’ agenda were preparedness and civil defence, including civil defence exercises.
“Exercises are increasingly important in the current security situation. Bilateral cooperation with Estonia supports other cooperation with the Baltic States and the Nordic countries,” said Rantanen.
During the day, the ministers also visited the Merihaka civil defence shelter and Isosaari, where they were able to follow a joint exercise between several authorities on how to manage special situations in the marine environment. Authorities from other Baltic Sea states, including Estonia, also participated in the exercise.
Inquiries: Laura Yli-Vakkuri, Director General, tel. +358 40 720 2216, firstname.lastname@gov.fi
