Sweden's new Chief of Army, Major General Johan Pekkari, made his first official overseas visit to Finland on his second day in the post. During the meeting with Finland's Chief of Army Pasi Välimäki, discussions covered joint operational planning, lessons learned from Ukraine, and NATO's Forward Land Forces in Finland, among other topics.
According to a press release from the Finnish Army, the agenda included the development of the two armies, the Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative (EFDI), Finland's NATO integration, and the implementation of Forward Land Forces Finland (FLF FIN). Pekkari was appointed as Sweden's new Chief of Army in August.
The two army chiefs also discussed changes on the battlefield and lessons from Ukraine, including drones and counter-drone measures, as well as digitalisation and artificial intelligence.
"Visiting my Finnish counterpart on my second day as Chief of Army shows how much importance I place on our close relations. Finland and Sweden are not just allies. We also have a deep and long-standing defence partnership, which also includes joint operational planning," says Johan Pekkari in the press release.
Finland's Chief of Army Pasi Välimäki, for his part, highlights the joint exercise activities in the Nordic region.
"We agreed that through systematic exercise activities in the Nordic region, we are building up a threshold to prevent conflicts and a capability to repel attacks, which strengthens NATO's deterrence and defence," says Pasi Välimäki.