New Chief of Swedish Army visited Finland

Chief of the Swedish Army, Major General Jonny Lindfors, familiarised with Army activity in Mikkeli and Kouvola.

Commander of the Finnish Army, Lieutenant General Pasi Välimäki hosted the first visit to Finland of the new Chief of the Swedish Army, Major General Jonny Lindfors during 5-6 July. Major General Jonny Lindfors was appointed Chief of the Swedish Army in June 2023.

On Wednesday 5 July the Army commanders met in the Army Command in Mikkeli where the new Chief of the Swedish Army was familiarised with the Finnish Army’s fields of activity. On Thursday the commanders visited the Karelia Brigade.

The defence cooperation of the Finnish and Swedish Armies covers a number of areas from operational planning to joint materiel procurement to joint training exercise activity. This year, the nations have exercised together, among others, in Aurora 23 in Sweden, and in Northern Forest 23 in Finland. 

- Training exercises allow us to test and verify in practice the results of our cooperation, our capabilities and our interoperability and connectivity. Sweden is the closest partner of the Finnish Army, and we will continue to develop our joint operating together also in the future as systematically as ever, Lieutenant General Välimäki says.

- The Finnish Army is our closest partner. Together we have a very established co-operation and as new commander of the Swedish Army, I see it as crucial to develop that relation, says Major General Lindfors.