Ukraine and Finland are intensifying their cooperation in civil protection by signing a memorandum on defense, reports Finnish national broadcaster Yle. The agreement foresees the development of Ukraine’s bomb shelter system.
The decision was made during the Ukrainian delegation’s visit to Finland on March 19 and was headed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Finland is set to lead a new international coalition that is focused on building shelters in Ukraine. The country brings significant experience in constructing protective structures, which is valuable not only for Ukraine but for all of Europe, Zelenskyy said.
“We discussed how we can share this experience. The civil protection coalition, led by Finland, is extremely important to us,” the president said.
The memorandum was signed by Finnish Interior Affairs Minister Mari Rantanen and Ukraine’s Minister for Strategic Industries, Herman Smetanin, at the Merihaka bomb shelter in Helsinki.
The Ukrainian community in Finland welcomed the decision.
“Finally! This should have been done back in 2022 – Finland truly has a lot to offer in this area,” said Natalia Teramae, Ukrainian Association in Finland’s coordinator of cultural projects.
Thus, Helsinki and Kyiv will work together on a project to develop Ukraine’s civil protection system.
“We support Ukraine in building its civil protection system, an area in which Finland has extensive experience. Ukraine has felt the greatest need for civil protection after more than three years of aggressive war by Russia,” Rantanen said.
Cover: Office of the President of Ukraine
