President Sauli Niinistö. Picture: Tomy Öhberg for Finland Today
On Friday, President Sauli Niinistö and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed the situation in Syria.
Chemical weapons have been repeatedly used in the Syrian conflict. Finland has condemned the attack in Douma on April 7. Chemical weapons are banned by the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), to which Syria is a party.
The Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) team of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is deployed to the Syrian Arab Republic to establish facts around the allegations of chemical weapons use in Douma.
The use of chemical weapons cannot go without consequences. The purpose of the missile attack to Syria by the United States, France and Great Britain on April 14 was to weaken Syria’s capability to use chemical weapons and show that their use is not acceptable.
The EU Foreign Affairs Council unanimously condemned the use of chemical weapons on April 16 and expressed its support to all efforts aimed at the prevention of their use.
Finland will seek to ensure that the perpetrators of the chemical attacks are held to account for their actions. On April 16, Finland joined the International Partnership against Impunity for the Use of Chemical Weapons (Paris Partnership). Finland also funds the UN accountability mechanism.
Finland will seek to ensure that the perpetrators of the chemical attacks are held to account for their actions.
A sustainable solution to the Syrian conflict and human suffering can only be achieved through UN-led political negotiations. Finland stresses the responsibility of the permanent members of the UN Security Council in reaching a solution and holding the perpetrators of chemical attacks accountable.
At the Brussels Conference on Syria on April 24-25, the aim is to relaunch the support for the political process and commitment of the international community to assist the victims of the Syrian war also in future.
Finland’s assistance to Syria is essentially responding to the immediate relief needs of the affected population. In addition, Finland provides support to strengthen the resilience of local communities, especially in neighboring countries hosting Syrian refugees.
This year two-thirds of the quota refugees to Finland will come from Syria. Finland will also continue its support to mediation and peacebuilding in Syria.
President Niinistö and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy decided on a major international exercise to be organized in connection with the national main military exercise of 2021.
The aim is to strengthen Finland’s defense capability and readiness and exercise in receiving international assistance and interoperability. The details of the exercise will be decided as the planning proceeds.
Source: The government
