Finland and Ukraine have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on quality assurance in the field of defence materiel. The agreement is intended to create a common framework for quality control of defence industry production and to simplify materiel cooperation between the two countries.
In a press release from the Finnish Ministry of Defence (Puolustusministeriö), Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen states that the agreement is a concrete step in the growing defence industrial cooperation between the two countries.
"Defence materiel cooperation between Finland and Ukraine strengthens security in both countries. The Memorandum of Understanding on quality assurance is a concrete step forward in the increasingly close defence industrial cooperation between our countries," said Häkkänen.
According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, the agreement means that the national quality assurance authorities of both countries will be able to conduct inspections on each other's behalf in accordance with NATO standards STANAG 4107 and AQAP-2070. Quality assurance carried out in one country will thereafter be automatically recognised by the other, without the need to repeat the same process.
In a statement from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, Deputy Defence Minister Mstyslav Banik said the arrangement is intended to contribute to faster delivery of materiel.
"Given the scale of the procurements carried out by the Ministry of Defence, we must do even more to ensure transparency and accountability. This is important both for our partners and for the soldiers who ultimately receive the equipment," said Banik.
According to the Ministry of Defence, Ukraine has previously signed equivalent agreements with Sweden, Turkey, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Norway, and Poland. The agreement with Finland is described as a further step in the work of aligning Ukraine's defence materiel supply with NATO standards.
Finland's Ambassador to Ukraine, Tarja Fernández, said, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence, that the agreement is expected to have practical effects on bilateral defence cooperation.
"This Memorandum of Understanding is yet another step in strengthening the close and dynamic cooperation between our countries. Among the practical outcomes is broader cooperation within the defence sector, particularly with regard to defence products," said Fernández.