Finland, Israel Secretly Extend Military Tech Pact

Finland and Israel secretly signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the military-technical sphere.

Consensus

Finland and Israel signed a memorandum of understanding on military-technical cooperation.
The memorandum was originally signed in 2013 and was due to expire.
Finland proposed to extend the agreement in early 2024.
The new agreement is valid for ten years, instead of the previous five.
A joint coordination group was established to oversee cooperation.
The agreement includes maintenance of previously purchased defense systems, including Israel's 'David's Sling' air defense system.
The signing took place during ongoing hostilities in the Gaza Strip.
The Finnish Ministry of Defense did not inform the public about the agreement.

Finland's defense minister Antti Häkkänen described the extension as a standard procedure and emphasized that the agreement only concerns maintenance of already acquired systems. — fontanka
Yle reported that there are 23 joint projects between Finland and Israel, and a closed seminar on defense industry was held in Helsinki in May. — fontanka
Israeli officials referred to Finland as 'the gateways to NATO and European markets'. — fontanka
A Fingo poll shows most Finns support ending arms trade with Israel, and researcher Kari Paasonen criticized the lack of assessment of foreign policy consequences. — fontanka
The content of the memorandum is unknown because the Ministry of Defense did not inform the public. — interfax
The Finnish defense minister did not find anything unusual in the agreement, given prior arms purchases from Israel. — interfax
An Israeli defense ministry representative stated that Finland is 'Israel's gateway to NATO and the European market'. — interfax