Finland’s high contribution to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, as well as the significant humanitarian aid it sent to the country was done to deepen relations with the US, NATO and other international partners, research by the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA) has found.
For 20 years, Finland contributed around 2,500 soldiers and 140 civilian crisis management experts to ISAF and allocated €400 million in development cooperation funds and humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, making it the biggest recipient of Finnish development cooperation funds for the second half of the 2010s.
All this was done because Finland wished to be viewed as a “partner”, according to the recent report, which was also based on interviews.
“Finland’s participation was primarily guided by its desire to maintain and strengthen its foreign and security policy relations with the US and other international partners, as well as its effort to deepen its collaboration with NATO,” the report added.
Finland’s generous helping hand was offered to bring stability to Afghanistan, enhance international peace and security, support the development of good governance and the rule of law, and promote the rights of women and girls. Government reports and other public documents even portrayed Finland as “a benefactor”.
But Finland ultimately failed to fulfil its original strategy, which the institute said was not sufficiently clear or transparent despite its actions being appreciated.
Still, “Finland’s involvement benefitted its transatlantic relations, Nordic cooperation and position in the international community. Besides defence cooperation, Finland developed its national capacities and raised its profile within the EU’s civilian crisis management framework,” the report also states. (Pekka Vänttinen | EURACTIV.com)
(Pekka Vänttinen | EURACTIV.com)
Source: euractiv.com
