HELSINKI (Chatnewstv.com) — Finland has concluded negotiations on a new agreement with NATO’s strategic commands that will significantly facilitate the operation of international military headquarters within the country, the Ministry of Defence announced Monday.
The supplementary agreement will strengthen the status of NATO’s military headquarters in Finland and streamline their operations, applying to all such facilities, including NATO’s centers of excellence (COEs). It serves as an addition to the existing Paris Protocol.
Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen hailed the pact as a key step in Finland’s NATO integration.
“We will facilitate the operation of international military headquarters in Finland with a new agreement,” Häkkänen said in a statement. “First, we achieved our defence policy objectives with regard to the Multi-Corps Land Component Command North (MCLCC-N) in Mikkeli, and now with this agreement we will ensure that not only the MCLCC-N but also any other international military headquarters later established in Finland can operate and perform their duties to the fullest.”
The MCLCC-N in Mikkeli, along with its personnel and their dependents, will be the first headquarters covered by the new provisions.
The agreement, which is the first NATO-related international pact prepared under the lead of the Ministry of Defence, is scheduled for signing in 2025. It stipulates that NATO military headquarters will operate under similar conditions to the Finnish Defence Forces, covering areas such as taxation, environmental protection, health and safety, telecommunications, vehicles, and education.
The minister added, “The agreement is also a concrete sign that Finland’s NATO integration is making good progress.”
The establishment of any international military headquarters in Finland, along with changes to personnel numbers, will remain subject to Finnish approval. Furthermore, Finland must approve any headquarter activities requiring an increase in personnel strength.
Under the new terms, NATO general and flag officers will be granted immunities and privileges comparable to those of foreign diplomats for the duration of their NATO missions.
A draft government proposal on the agreement is expected to be circulated for comments in January 2026, with the government planning to submit its final proposal to Parliament in mid-April 2026.
