Nicușor Dan announces the deepening of cooperation with Finland in air defense, following the visit to Lapland Air Base

President Nicușor Dan announced that Romania is ready to deepen cooperation with Finland in the field of air defense, following his visit to Lapland Air Base in Rovaniemi. The collaboration could cover pilot training, air base infrastructure, maintenance, operational support, and industrial production.

In a message posted on the X platform, on the sidelines of the European Arctic Summit, the head of state said that in Rovaniemi he saw “what it means to protect NATO’s northern flank day after day.” Nicușor Dan thanked representatives of the Finnish Air Force for the welcome and for the professionalism they demonstrated.

The president emphasized that Rovaniemi and the air bases in Romania are located at opposite ends of the same allied flank, but have increasingly similar objectives. The Finnish base marks the beginning of Finland’s capacity to operate F-35 aircraft, while Romania is set to transition from F-16 to F-35 in the coming years.

According to Nicușor Dan, the experience of the two countries can contribute to strengthening European and allied cooperation, from the Arctic to the Black Sea.