Source: Uusi Suomi
By : Aleksi Teivainen
Jussi Niinistö, the Minister of Defence, has called for a re-examination of the demilitarisation of Åland. Niinistö stated in an interview on YLE TV1 on Saturday that the demilitarised status of the autonomous string of islands outside the south-western coast of Finland could be re-examined, for example, in the context of the ongoing discussion about defence co-operation between Finland and Sweden.
The demilitarisation, he estimated, has a detrimental effect on the ability of Finland to fulfil its responsibility to defend the Åland Islands.
Jukka Tarkka, a researcher and non-fiction author, says he is delighted with the fact that Niinistö seems to not be afraid to examine the national security situation in light of historical evidence and recent events in the adjoining territories.
“That’s the kind of security thinking we need now,” he writes in his personal blog.
His assessment is echoed by Charly Salonius-Pasternak, a researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs.
“Niinistö made some good remarks about Åland. No country would be willing to approve of a defence obligation with similar limitations when it comes to preparations,” he tweeted on Sunday.
Both Salonius-Pasternak and Tarkka have commented regularly on the position of the Åland Islands. Tarkka estimated recently that the islands would be a priority for any nearby military power in the event of a conflict in the Baltic Sea Region. “Åland has been re-militarised after being stripped of arms whenever a war has broken out in the Baltic Sea,” he pointed out.
Salonius-Pasternak, in turn, said last year the demilitarisation and non-alignment of the Åland Islands should be opened to debate especially because of recent changes in the security environment of Finland.
Niinistö contrastively received no support for his views from Mats Löfström (Åland Centre), the lone Member of the Finnish Parliament from Åland.
“As the de-militarised status of Åland has been set forth in international treaties, which neither Finland nor Sweden can amend, it is rather harmful to call into question the demilitarisation in an attempt to score political points,” he commented.